A Woman's Touch
by hatchlingpendragon
Summary: A twist in the tale. Perhaps if it weren't the wife who had died.
1. Chapter 1

The baby cried while the house burned, the sparks flew up in hot pinpoints like stars against the smoke that clogged the sky.

So much had gone so, so wrong...

Tears fell and dried and died over and over against a pale face as the little baby girl was clutched closer, slowly soothed from her fears in a familiar embrace.

For a while the figure simply stood on the hillock, dark and despairing, yet calm in its vigil.

More tears spilled before their creator blinked them away, to glare at the crowd that fled from the flames like rats as the main structure collapsed.

". . . Hush now, my love." was murmured softly with the barest quaver to the baby as the little one fell asleep, as the house was left behind with the graceful swish of a cloak. There would be no body to find when the ashes cooled: their kind never held high resistance to light and light's heat.

A safer place, they'd have to find a safer place, safer than here. Far, far from here. How far was far enough?

Grief chilled the heart and stung the eyes and laid raw the soul, but the baby was still here, and still needed love and safety and a parent. As this was thought, the chill turned into a slow, resolute burn, and all tears dried from the dusk-grey eyes, as a calculating brain already laid plans for future years.

For the child, all this would be for their child.

"Don't worry, my Mavis," Martha Lubov Dracula said quietly, cradling her daughter closer to her chest, "After tonight, we will not fear humans ever again..."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Brief Note from the Author:<strong> _Perhaps a dark start for a short story, but I promise for the ending to be sweet!_


	2. Chapter 2

The baby wasn't sleeping well today.

Martha had changed diapers, cuddled, coddled, and cajoled, but still held the sniffling infant to her, trying to soothe the stress away, but still the little girl quietly whimpered. This called for drastic measures. Martha grimaced to herself.

"Hush, little Mavis, don't make a peep," she finally sang, sounding almost deathly flat. She didn't have her husband's voice, but her daughter seemed to like it anyway.

"Mommy will be here until you go to sleep."

Martha began to smile, seeing those big blue eyes stare up at her, beginning to blink sleepily. She was probably boring the babe to slumber.

"And if a scary human disturbs your rest," she crooned, gently rocking the drowsy baby,

"Mommy will rip their heart right out of their chest..."

The baby giggled tiredly at the playful biting face her mother made, before finally falling asleep.

Martha smiles, feeling tired herself, before sighing, remembering how Mavis had her father's eyes...

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"I'm going to get yo~ou! <em>I'm going to get yo~ou!"<em>

A shrieking peal of giggles carried through the small cottage as a little toddler shuffed frantically along the wall, her mother following in playful chase along the ceiling, the woman's giggle deeper in her mirth as she went to the floor, fingers arching, "I'm going to catch your toes, Mavis, look out for your to~oes!"

A sharp, delighted squeal signified Mavis's defiance, and Martha let out a breath as her daughter made it to the main room. Laughing tiredly, she rubbed at her lower back, wincing. _Aïe..._ Too much desk work and not enough sleep had made her spine as stiff as her coffin, "Alright, alright, let's...let's just settle down a bit, little blood pudding..." she decided wearily, swiping her hair back.

"What about out there?" her little one asked, and Martha's eyes widened as Mavis toddled to the open front door. How had that happened? A draft?

"Oh, no, no, no, baby," she said quickly, scooping her up away from the traitorous door, "_No_. We can't go out there yet."

"How come?"

Martha smirked a little, seeing her daughter already discovering a pouty bat face.

"The world isn't ready for you yet, Mavis," the countess told her with a kiss to the forehead, shutting the door with a flick of her wrist. Out of sight, out of mind.

"But one day they'll learn to behave," she assured the child, brushing at her soft, slightly scruffy black hair, the girl would need a trim soon, "And then you can play out there to your little heart's content. Alright, pretty wing? You just need to wait."

"Okay, Mommy."

Martha smiled, taking her back to the inner rooms of the house. She knew it wasn't _quite_ 'okay, Mommy'. Little girls were curious creatures, after all. Martha knew that very well. So the when the windows and doors were more firmly shut in the weeks to come, she just warned Mavis about the noise of construction, and the little girl couldn't find anything to argue about for this time.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Milady?"<p>

"What, what?" she growled, in the middle of a flying lesson with her daughter.

The workman smiled at the bat, helmet held respectfully in his hands. Martha blinked, returning to humanoid form with a grin and a gleeful clap of her hands.

The hotel was finished!

"Take a roost, honey bat," she told Mavis, who was still fluttering cutely, "You're doing beautifully, but Mommy has to see someone about work now."

"Okay!"

"_How _is it?" Martha asked, trying to keep her composure as they went to the balcony, but can't keep the smile from her face.

"In the designs requested, milady, down to the cubic inch, and quite a beaut." the contractor told her. Her eyes brightened to silver as she scanned the grounds. "The defense systems are top notch, too," he went on to comment, "Got yer traditional forest barriers, legions of the undead..."

"And a path," she went on, still staring in the distance, searching for it, "You have included a path, yes?"

"Ye-es," the man said uneasily, "But if perfect isolation is what you'd want—"

"It's obscure enough to only be taken by those told of it _specifically_, is it not?" she snapped, blinking the brightness away with a roll of her eyes.

She smiled down at the contractor reassuringly when he nodded.

"Isolation has its benefits, sir," she told him patiently, "But _complete_ isolation is not my agenda... Thank you, you've done very well."

Everything was almost ready...

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"I'll only be gone for a few nights, my love," she reassured her daughter as the little one clung to her skirt, "You just be good and listen to your Auntie Wanda, okay?"<p>

Mavis nodded, slightly using Martha's skirt as a tissue before allowing herself to be picked up by the slender werewolf.

"Wayne and I might not mind having a few pups of our own." Martha's friend commented kindly after putting Mavis in her coffin, going to the door to see the vampire off. Martha nodded, her smile nervous, "Thank you for coming out all this way, Wanda, it...it means a lot to me..."

Wanda's ears lowered in her worry, "Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, "At least take a sword?"

She whined when the lady vampire shook her head.

"You will be coming back, won't you, Martha?"

Martha laughed, taking her friend by the shoulders to kiss her furry face, "Of course I will! I am a Dracula! Or, well, I'd married one." she added sheepishly, "You'll see, Wanda, this is the best thing that I can do for everyone." She glanced over the werewolf's shoulder to where her daughter would be sleeping. "Imagine it," she went on instead, excited at the thought, "To have no need for swords or shadows, to be able to show your lovely muzzle without fear, eh?"

She grinned at Wanda's self-conscious blush, patting her shoulder.

"When I get back, we'll discuss nurseries." she promised, before flying out into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>It took a long time to find the right town, and then more hours of searching until she located the specific people.<p>

They were older now, she'd forgotten how fast they aged. But most of them were still alive, and still remembered very, very well once she refreshed their memory...

She corralled the tired, frightened old men to their town square with shadows and silent warnings. Other worried town dwellers were already lighting torches and trying to gather their pitchforks and sharp things, but would find them in a pile in the town square beside the guilty, having been stolen while they'd slept.

She did not smile as she stood on top of their fountain, over their heads, picking out these men's descendants in the crowd. Her face was hidden in the flickering light cast by the torches, like a grim sentinel she perched over them, seeing wide eyes turned up at her, glazed with fear and anger. The latter aspect would be gone soon.

She did not smile, but oh, how proud she felt.

"These men," she intoned, with a gesture to the line-up between her and the crowd, seeing their backs and shoulders cringe with age and fear, "Had committed a terrible, horrible crime. I'm sure you've heard the stories they've told? How heroic," she laughed, "How..._noble_, you think these men must be." She leapt from the fountain to land gracefully, showing no fear to the torches hesitantly thrust towards her. "It is always the winners," she went on, turning her back on the crowd to face the men, speaking to them now, seeing their eyes alight with recognition and terror, "Who write the tales, isn't it? Did you tell them how we paid for the livestock we took?" she murmured, "How we touched no hair on a human head other than those who would bring harm to this place? How you circled a house with torches and stones, how you knocked on a door and ran through with stakes the man who had answered, leaving a child without a father, and a widow without even a body to bury?"

She's calm. She's calm as she paces the line, looking each old man in the eyes, seeing the remnants of their disgust for her.

"But...perhaps it would be so long ago that you think it would not matter? Do you think it would not matter now?"

A wave of her hand magicked the torches from the hands of the crowd, with a scrape and clank of metal the pitchforks and sharp things arose to swarm in the air and herd them in, bringing shrieks and gasps and prayers from the townspeople as the torches hovered to cast confusing light.

"Tell me how much you think it would matter now." she said quietly, as everything turned its blade and edge to the lineup of men.

She grinned as some of them straightened under the threat, regaining their pride, clearly fearless in the face of their deaths. She liked that. Thoughtfully, then, the blades and edges turned _away_ from the men to aim towards the crowd, towards where she knew some of their children and children's children would be standing.

"Do you want to know how it felt," she murmured, now feeling their resolves break behind her.

She hears a few raspy old voices break out to plead and beg for the lives of their descendants.

_'It was us, not them, take us, not them!'_

"How it felt to be so..._helpless_...?"

She raised her hand, the weapons twirling readily in answer, her other hand shoving back the old man who'd made to tackle her without touching him, not looking around to see him as he stumbled back weakly with a screaming curse.

"But," she went on, curling her fingers and flinging her hand, and every blade and pitchfork was flung _away_ from the people into the depths of the night, scattered far and wide without a chance to be recovered, and not a drop of blood was shed, "I am not without my mercies."

She spun to face the men, seeing relief and confusion in their faces.

"I forgive you," she murmured, "For you knew not what you had done."

Then she straightened, smiling in their faces, "But still, I cannot forget this so easily." she went on to say, tilting her head and looking around the stunned people.

"Who leads you?"

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Their leader is a middle-aged man, tired and stressed, and unprepared for her while she had been prepared for this for <em>decades<em>.

It is an easy thing to negotiate, to feel out and solidify with ink and paper. There are plenty of witnesses to see that she makes this deal in complete honesty. Since the original men who committed the crime were physically unable to repay it, their descendants would, instead, and anyone else willing to ease her wrath on this small village. In later years this arrangement would bring a certain measure of protection and prosperity to the village in the process.

Martha takes very good care of what she values, after all.

So she now has workers for her hotel, devoting their lives in service to her, and when not their lives, then their deaths. Zombies make quite decent bellhops.

This will be a quiet arrangement for the first few decades, while the hotel earns its reputation in the monster worlds. For humans it would be a legend.

But humans are curious creatures by nature, investigative and nosy, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Her humans' descendants would be asked questions, and soon her legend and reputation would be made known to the human world. Humans both love and fear power, and it is clear that she has plenty of it, she becoming a force to not be slighted.

The human world would open its doors for her, in later years, and put on their best smiles in her presence.

And Martha would smile right back.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Brief Note from the Author:<strong> _Not done yet!_


	3. Chapter 3

_In the year of 1996._

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"I'm not seeing what is so disagreeable with this arrangement," Madame Dracula murmured, tilting her head to regard the poor representatives standing at the other side of her desk, "I've had all my forms checked to be legal, the health codes thus far are impeccable, and I've paid the required prices for the land, taxes included, everything according to the intended countries. This should be no more troublesome an undertaking than any other <em>human<em> expansion. Why is my request to expand to a global chain still being," Martha smiled patiently, showing fang, seeing the few human men, and one woman, sweat.

"'Thought over'? I thought your people would be more efficient than this..."

They are all dressed alike, but Martha stands out. Her own suit is cut to form, slightly old-fashioned with a cravat of dark purple silk, and clearly expensive, partly concealed by a cloak with a collar that ended just under her jaw, her slightly curled hair is pulled back into a loose, conservative bun that frames her face and sharpens her eyes. She is a businesswoman of a vampire.

"It is not a question of procedure," the human woman decided to speak up, drawing the vampire's critical gaze to her.

"Your records and proposal are immaculate to process," the human went on respectfully, but after that her confidence began to flag under the slate gray stare, "But a few hiccups have turned up due to a few of your, um, staff..."

Martha raised an eyebrow, waiting for the woman to continue. But as she kept fidgeting, the silence began to stretch. Fortunately one of her associates saved her.

"The proposal has come into question due to the public image you present," he said, with a firmness that wasn't wavering. He was graced with the vampire's attention, "Or, more to the point, your, er, _unique_ policies on the human employment in your establishment..."

Ah.

Mrs. Dracula smiled.

"If they're concerned about the work requirements regarding humans," she said smoothly, "That particular contract I believe you're referring to is only being and only will be practiced in the _original_ hotel, and only to specific humans. No such arrangement will be involved anywhere other than here. The extended establishments will allow and hire human employment as 'normally' as any other like-business would."

"That is good to know," another man speaks up, having found his own words while she'd spoken, "But there are further questions related directly to that contract, and my people are also curious about your, ah, discrimination concerning allowed clientele."

It felt like the air had abruptly stilled.

'Discrimination'. She appreciated his lack of mincing words, but still, hmm, poor choice of words on his part.

"I allow humans to work for me," she replied politely, leaning forward slightly in her seat, "And pay them what I owe them for their services without distinction."

He perhaps didn't notice how his companions were slightly inching away from him.

"Yes, madam, but you don't actually let humans take advantage of your hotel." he said bluntly.

The man who who had discussed her human employment policies spoke up again, quickly trying to cover up the other man's mistake, almost stammering in his haste, "I was hoping to later discuss a few ideas you could use for a public relations progra—"

"No, no, I'd like to hear this." Martha interrupted, smiling softly, "A good manager always hears complaints. My choice bothers you?"

"It's blatantly racist," he continued in a polite tone of voice, "That humans can work for your service but not be able to receive benefits. It suggests poor workplace ethic."

If this silence had an image, it would be of closed, bared teeth belonging to an animal waiting to pounce from the tall, dark grass.

"'Racist'," Martha repeated slowly, rolling the word between her fangs, seeing the woman go pale. The vampire continued to smile, always smile, "I understand the concerns," she said kindly, "But, do tell me, how many of _your _people's establishments cater to humans _and_ monsters in the common human-based areas, hm? It doesn't even have to be a hotel, perhaps a restaurant or a place of entertainment?" She waited patiently through the ensuing silence, fighting to keep the smile from turning into a grin, "Oh, not even a swimming pool?"

Her eyes narrowed in amusement as the man reddened at the obvious jab. Not very professional, Martha chided herself, keep calm.

"Alright, how about employment opportunities then? How many human establishments will let monsters work for them...?"

She waits again through the silence that is his answer, feeling satisfied. He shouldn't have tried to play the 'race' card when she has a full deck.

"I hope that answers any further complaints." she finished in a clipped tone, straightening once more, and the room relaxes.

She turns to the other man, "You mentioned a public relations program?"

Her eyes dart to a crack in the door as the man tries to find his notes, and Martha's eyes widen at the bright blue eye she sees peeking through the opening.

"Uh—le-et's call an adjournment for now," the vampire said quickly, suddenly standing, startling her guests, and she turned to the man, "I will be very happy to discuss public relations further, and will be right back to arrange another meeting with you." she smiled brightly, the image of a hostess disturbingly quickly replacing the one of the negotiator, "Wait right here, and someone will bring you all refreshment!"

Dana was waiting patiently with her food cart just outside the door. All by herself.

Martha looked around frantically before turning to the zombie, "Which way?"

Dana pointed listlessly, and Martha thanked the zombie. "Serve them. Oh, and if they ask questions, just smile," Martha told her quickly, "And keep asking the man who looks like he smelled something bad if he needs anything, feel free to flirt a little, he's your type." Dana grinned knowingly. She was one of the quicker zombies, and more kept together, too, but knew how to ham up the 'undead' role. See how he liked her workplace ethic then.

Unprofessional, yes, but Martha had to get her kicks where she could, and if it was through Socratic irony, then so be it.

She caught up with her daughter in the next hall.

"Mavis," she sighed, seeing the preteen shuffle awkwardly in the hall, "What had I told you? You can't come near the office when Mommy's having a meeting."

"You're _always_ having a meeting..." the 101-year-old mumbled, staring at the floor, and Martha began to frown, until she blinked, seeing something different.

"Mavis?" she asked, leaning down to try and see her daughter's face more clearly, "Mavis, honey, what is on your face...?"

The young girl blinked, trying to avoid her mother's touch, "Uh, um, nothin'."

Martha's eyes widened as her fingers came away with a crumbly black powder, "Is that my makeup?"

"Dirt! Mud! Nothing!" Mavis protested, blinking garishly blackened eyes in the futile effort of the guilty trying to look innocent. She'd attempted to wipe away the stuff, but eyeshadow smeared on her cheekbones, practically ground into the hollows of her sockets, while lipstick smudged her lips and the little indent between her mouth and nose. Martha stared, before blinking once, twice.

Mavis jumped back in slight concern when the older vampire burst into laughter.

"You shu-heh...should—see!" the woman giggled helplessly, practically crippled while holding her stomach, _"You...yo-ou-look-like-a-little-raccoon!"_

"No I_ don't!"_ Mavis protested, but bursts of laughter broke her pouting as she watched her mother collapse under a fit.

When Martha finally recovered, still giggling, she guided Mavis by the shoulders, "Heh, oh-h, my, my, my cute, clumsy 'coon, let's go get you cleaned off."

"But your meeting...?" the adolescent asked.

"I have time." the mother replied gently, affectionately petting her daughter's hair.

. . .

"You're not mad, are you, Mom?" Mavis asked hesitantly, making a face as Martha worked a stubborn stain from the skin of her cheek.

"No," the woman replied softly, "I'm just sorry I've been so busy. Humans just have so many questions, and you know they're so _greedy_..."

Mavis frowned a little, the pout making Martha's work on the lipstick easier. Humans seemed to take up all of Mom's time...

"It'll be nice though," her mother continued to tell her excitedly, "Soon I can put more hotels in different places, and we'll have places for us all over the world! in a few more years we can go closer to Uncle Murray if we want, or the Steins, any time we want! Won't that be fun?"

"We get to see them here, though," young Mavis pointed out, unfortunately smudging more makeup on her face in the process of speaking, "Do you...have to do so much?"

_Yes!_ Martha wanted to tell her, _Yes, I've hardly done **enough**! _But she sees the look on her daughter's face and calms down, thinking.

"Tell you what, Mavis," she murmured to her daughter, kneeling to smile straight into those sweet blue eyes, "Tonight we'll have a 'Mavis and Mommy' evening! What do you think? We'll go out hunting, fly around the lake, and when we get back I'll teach you how to use makeup properly, okay?"

Martha waited as her daughter blinked at her, and then jumped when she was caught in a surprise hug, small, thin arms clutching and crinkling her cloak and suit, the gangly body of her child still yet untouched by womanhood. Martha laughed softly, hugging her daughter back, "Ah, that's a yes?"

"Yef, pweaf." was the muffled voice in her shoulder.

"Okay," the vampire sighed, smiling as she petted her little girl's hair, "I'm sorry that the humans take so much, Mavis, but you remember..."

Mavis nodded, backing up to recite dutifully a poem Martha had written long ago, "'They take and trick and twist the tales, but love and family prevails.'"

That had been a bad month when she'd written it, but it stuck with her.

"That's right!" Martha nodded proudly.

Then the girl's face fell a little, "But...they can't all be like that, can they? Can't I...?"

A few beats of silence, while the mother considers her daughter.

"You're not old enough to see them yet." she tells her gently.

"I know, but—"

"Mavis?"

". . . Yes, Mom."

And Martha knew it wasn't really 'Yes, Mom', and that young girls were curious creatures. So when she avoided the subject later on, Mavis wouldn't try to argue about it for this time, much. And with this time borrowed, Martha continued to plan.

Later the humans would be dismissed, and Martha would keep a card for when she wanted to contact the man's proposed relations agent. If she wanted to.

It was an interesting arrangement when they did makeup lessons, bellies full on mice and apples. Martha was careful to teach Mavis to apply by touch, demonstrating how each touch would look by having Mavis's face on a sketchpad, drawing it in every other motion to mark which touch went where. Sometimes Martha envied humans their ability for mirrors, it was like a strange power.

"Hey, Mom?" Mavis spoke up, after a light moment where Martha had made her laugh by making faces during applying her own makeup.

"Yes?"

"What was Dad like?"

Martha paused, while Mavis looked both cautious and curious. This wasn't the first time Mavis had asked about her father, but...

"You have his eyes," Martha told her softly, after a few moments silence, "Such a lovely blue." she watched her daughter self-consciously rub her own eyelid, blinking in that blue color that no shade of paint could ever recreate, "I think you have his hair, too, that straightness. We could find out if you'd like to let it grow...?"

"I like it short." Mavis mumbled, tugging at the strands that barely brushed her shoulders. They had a slight flip at the end that might suggest curls, but who knew.

Martha smiled, "And you have his voice, you sing so nice."

"He sang?" Mavis asked, surprising her mother.

"I hadn't told you?"

Mavis shook her head, then smiled sheepishly, "You don't sing, but...you write and draw and stuff and...Auntie Eunice told me how you used to dance."

Martha flushed, feeling self-conscious, "W-well, I'd hardly call it—"

"Do you have to dance with somebody? Is that it?"

"Let's finish your makeup." Martha decided quickly, fumbling with the palette.

"C'mo-on!" her daughter whined, then 'eep'ed when Martha held a finger to her lips.

"Time and place, dear one." her mother cautioned her sternly, and Mavis grinned cheekily behind her finger.

"Yes, Mom."

For the next big season, though, Martha wouldn't fail to notice how several guests—Griffin included and perhaps most prominently—would try to coax her to dance more than usual. She'd raise an eyebrow at Mavis who would be waiting almost inconspicuously in the background, seeing that sheepish smile.

Clever girl, definitely her mother's daughter...

But for now, she would put her daughter to bed, and consider the number of the relations agent.

She would call him, and ask about public relations.

It would be in the next year of 1997 that Hotel Transylvania would host its first human school field trips, starting with, of all things, elementary schools...


	4. Chapter 4

_Late in the year of 1996._

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>The way the arrangement was laid out was simple and sweet, all things considered. For one Spring season every five years, Hotel Transylvania would be open as an optional destination for human tours and school field trips, with a road being open for them to use, that would be shut in-between those periods of time.<p>

It was a surprisingly popular idea among the humans, considering the stigma monsters usually get, but there was obviously some controversy and discussion about the move that Martha's agent—recommended to her by the man who'd proposed the program—assured her was a good thing, after the vampire's outrage over a few articles alluding to her 'questionable diet'.

"I answered truthfully in that review! This isn't the 17th century anymore! What are they_ thinking?! _That I'd 'violate health codes to devour them in their sleep'?! _What?!"_

"It's good to be talked about and questioned, Mrs. Dracula, even if it's mixed. You know how dramatic the hype tabloids like to get, don't take them to heart," the human told her over the phone while she calmed down, she could hear the smile in the human's voice. Martha was calmed and grudgingly smiled at the next words and the challenge in them, "It makes for a greater impact and measure of satisfaction to prove 'em you're right..."

"So sure that I would, aren't you? That I'd prove it?" she'd replied dourly, humoring the girl's optimism.

She was one of the few humans Martha found a patience for, for her open-mindedness.

"I _know_ you will. Knock 'em dead, ma'am." The woman, 'Helen' Martha now remembered, then coughed, "Er, uh, not literally though, bad for PR."

Martha couldn't help but laugh at that, to her agent's unfortunate misunderstanding.

"Uh, heh, ma'am? Mrs. Dracula? Really, please, _don't _kill anybody..."

The consultation ended after Martha assured her poor agent that nothing sordid would occur. After she hung up the phone, Martha closed her eyes and enjoyed the few moments of silence, using it to consider her daughter. Mavis was understandably excited about the thought of officially seeing humans for the first time, but Martha was just as understandably apprehensive, and knew she'd have to put set up boundaries quickly.

It'd be stupid to outright _forbid _any form of interaction, but it'd be even more stupid to―

_"Hey, Mom!"_

Martha started back in her chair, gray eyes shooting open to meet the bright blue ones of the girl kneeling to literally hover over her desk.

"Sorry," Mavis went on, seeing her mother's stunned expression, smiling nervously with her mouth closed, moving closer with every word, "I waited but I wasn't too sure. Were you sleeping? I'm sorry if you were sleeping. Or, er, resting. Or something. But you weren't on the phone and things looked pretty cool and you didn't look busy so I thought it'd be okay to come and say hi and holy rabies, Mom, just _look...!"_

Finally Mavis breathed and properly opened her mouth, pointing to the slightly blunted tips of her training fangs while trying to watch her mother's face at the same time. Martha had recovered by this time, straightening up and laughing tiredly at her daughter's energy, leaning forward to look.

"Alright, alright, love, what am I seeing?"

The corners of Mavis's mouth turned up in a bared grin, and Martha watched as the girl gently nudged one of her fangs, and the tooth moved at her touch.

Martha's squeal went to the ceiling of the office as Mavis proved the looseness of her canine.

Mavis was happily flustered as her mother fussed between being giddy, practical, and, well, motherly.

"It's just this fang at the moment, right?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Is it sore? Any gum swelling or redness?"

"Uh-uh. 'Ell, nah 'eally..."

"After this one falls out the other one will start to loosen, you know. You can take your hand out of your mouth now. Ooh, let me look...!"

. . .

"Uh. . . Mah?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Canna ha' ma mouf ba' nao?"

"Your what? Oh! Yes, yes, yes, sorry."

Mavis was relieved from inspection but was promptly pulled across the desk into a tight hug, scattering things off the desktop to the carpet with muffled thumps.

The girl paused, a little taken aback, then giggled at her mother's clutching.

"Mom, it's just a tooth..."

"But you're growing up so fa-ast," Martha whimpered into her shoulder, "I'm so _happy_ yet so―!"

Mavis hugged her mother while the woman continued her muffled ranting for both praising her growth and ordering her to stop growing. She occasionally patted the cloak-covered back comfortingly, unable to stop a bashful grin at all this attention she'd often craved. And she hadn't even lost the tooth yet!

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p><em>In the Spring of 1997.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>It was daytime, but they still managed to find a window that was shadowy enough to protect them while still getting a view. Martha kept a precautionary hand on her daughter's shoulder, practically feeling the girl bounce in place in anticipation for the buses of humans that would surely be coming any minute. Martha was obviously less than pleased, keeping her face schooled against the disgust she felt. Her hotel, this place of tranquility, this beautiful estate was being reduced to a <em>tourist attraction...<em>

She was both amused and despairing of her daughter's enthusiasm, of that naiveté she was partly responsible for, but she wouldn't let her conflict show.

"What are the rules?"

"Watch without being seen," Mavis said dutifully, showing a brief glance of the cute little gaps between her teeth that she was still embarrassed about, the points of her new fangs just beginning to show. They'd be finished growing in by next week. Her wide, blue eyes were glued to the distant road beyond the moat, at where it disappeared into the woods, "Caution at all times. Don't show them your back."

"And if they do see you?"

"Glare for five seconds then sweep away with over-dramatic dignity." her daughter went on flatly. Martha abruptly looked down and Mavis cringed.

"I mean, um, hold their eyes for five seconds then calmly leave." the girl mumbled, and Martha pointedly patted her shoulder, "But won't that show them my back?"

"They'll have seen your eyes first," Martha explained calmly, "And know they cannot hope to attack you."

"Do all humans really want to back-stab us?" Mavis asked uneasily, "I mean, you're nice, and monsters and humans get along now, don't they?"

"It's...it's complicated, love," the woman sighed, "Humans will seem sweet when they're small, but they're taught to fear us, and to fight the things they fear, or twist them to suit their own purposes. We're only lucky that they're civilised enough to control their base impulses. But that just means they're better at hiding it. They cannot help their thoughts. We know better than they, so we'll teach them, but until then," Martha caught her daughter's gaze, and held it pointedly, to momentarily distract her from the bus coming down the road, "You will not be relaxed around humans, Mavis. Understand?"

Confusion in the young girl's eyes, excitement, unease, and uncertainty, and then submission.

"Yeah."

Martha kissed her daughter's forehead, before letting her see the buses pull into the cul-de-sac, and the air began to fill with the sound of children and the adults that began to make attempts to herd them, "I have to go greet them now. Behave and be wary, Mavis."

Mavis nodded silently, eyes wide and palms pressed to the glass as she sees more humans than she ever has before. A lot of them were so _short_...

How could things this cute become so bad?

Martha saw how her daughter still could see no wrong, and sighed to herself. Mavis would need to learn, eventually, about how treacherous humans could be, no matter how polite or genial their smiles seemed. Martha would teach the girl, of course. But for now, Mavis wanted to enjoy something new, and Martha had work to do. She left her daughter at the window, before calling up the knight system to prepare for the tours.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Good morning, and welcome to Hotel Transylvania. Congratulations to you all on being the first to partake in its grand tour." Martha greeted from the stairs, wearing a kind, controlled smile that showed her fangs, seeing the crowd of humans shift in the lobby, staring at her with wide eyes. There were mostly children, with parents and teachers and the occasional photographer, while smaller groups composed of families or individuals stayed at the back. Even as she spoke she heard the clicks and caught the flashes of cameras. It had been interesting and somewhat unsettling to discover that vampires could show up on film, digital or otherwise, but her agent, Helen, had told her this would make Martha easier to relate to. There were already murmurs as they looked around, and at her. It was different, reading about vampires and monsters, and then meeting one for real.<p>

"I hope that your trip was pleasant," she went on, "And that your day here will be enjoyable. I am Mrs. Dracula, the founder and manager of this hotel. This will be simple. You will all be guided by a knight from my knight system. Gentlemen?"

From all around came the chorus of "Yes, ma'am!"

The suits of armor marched out in file to the rising murmurs of the humans, standing before them to first bow to the vampire, and then salute their audience with a gentle clatter and clash of metal. Some of the children were uneasy, whimpering at the sight of the metal men, before being quickly soothed by their guardians. Martha winced internally. Human though they were, children were children, and she never liked seeing one in distress.

"They will show you the grounds and main areas of interest of the hotel, and feel free to ask them questions or inform them if you find a problem. Do keep in mind to stay with your designated guide at all times," she cautioned, and then added with a slightly more wry smile, "And do be sure to stay quiet unless it is necessary. We do have some guests that still sleep at this hour, after all."

She scans the crowd again, and then blinks when she finds a human woman at the back of the lobby who was staring most pointedly at her. With a smile.

"Welcome to Hotel Transylvania once again," the vampire continues smoothly, as the knights begin to organize their groups, "I hope you enjoy your time..."

With a flourish she is a large bat winging over the humans' heads, ignoring their gasps before they are herded to their tour guides. Martha's bright orange-red eyes flash as the woman continues to watch, and she discretely flies to perch on the human's shoulder.

"Helen, I'm guessing?" she asks nonchalantly, and indeed her PR agent nods, clearly unsettled.

"Good to finally meet you, Mrs. Dracula, you did wonderfully. Smile could've used some work, though." Helen laughed, as the lobby began to empty.

"Of course I did," Martha said matter-of-factly, becoming a human to stand with the woman, "You had me recite that speech to you for weeks. And we never covered anything on 'smiles'."

Martha stared shrewdly at the woman. At first she'd mistaken the redheaded woman as 'plump', but the swell of her stomach told something otherwise.

"Congratulations are in order, I'm guessing?" the vampire continued, loosening slightly from her formality, "I hadn't known to expect you on the first tour."

"Thank you. This one will be my fifth, or, well, fifth _and_ sixth, two-for-one package," Helen said warmly, proudly patting her stomach over the vampire's spluttering, Martha had forgotten about human's reproduction rate, rivalling werewolves.

"And I find that you can see the best of people when they think you're not looking. You're doing very well."

"There are _more_ of you?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Yes, in fact, I brought the whole family along for this business trip, my husband felt better about it," Helen mentioned, and began gesturing to the different age groups, and another red-haired adult, "There he is. A few of my kids are here, too, for the tour. I can count one...two..." she frowned, "There's the third and―wait, is that one mine? That one's not mine."

"It's not?" Martha tried to see, but all the short ones looked the same to her. Short, sticky, and squeaky.

Helen blinked, then sighed, "That kid... Eh, well, the little squirt will show up. He's quite the explorer, you know."

Martha stared at her agent.

"As long as he stays away from the kitchens..." Martha said carefully. She still wasn't sure if her chef had caught on to the 'humans-aren't-food' policy.

"He what?" Helen asked, still scanning the crowd.

"Nothing, nothing, yes, he'll be fine! He has your hair?"

"All of mine do." Helen laughed nervously, and both women suddenly saw how many redheads were in the crowd of children.

The vampire felt like her eye was twitching. It was a good thing for humans that they reproduced so quickly, evidently.

"Right. Lovely to meet you and, er, see your offspring, Helen, but something suddenly requires my full and immediate attention."

Martha promptly left to keep an eye out for a short, sticky, squeaky boy with red hair who happened to belong to her public relations agent.

It would be _very_ bad for PR if an unfortunate accident happened on the first day.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Mavis was not panicking. Or screaming. Or running. Nope, none of the above.<p>

Not panicking at all that this thing had found her and that it wasn't. Going. Away.

She doesn't know what she did wrong, but she's thinking her mom would be so mad. She was sure she hadn't gotten too close, just enough to get a peek at all the little kids before the knights gathered them up, okay, cool, she saw humans, and would get to peek some more throughout the day, awesome. But the next thing she knows, she's some distance away when she turns around to notice that one of them had been following her. He was short like little kids were, kind of chubby, with a snubby nose, brown eyes, freckles, and a lot of reddish looking hair, and he just kept staring up at her with a smile.

She'd tried the stare, stared really hard for five seconds, and watched his eyes widen and blink, and he dropped the smile. Okay, cool, he was intimidated and wouldn't try to attack her later. She'd walked away, only to hear little feet following. She turned around quickly, and the kid was right there, smiling again. Kind of creepy. She tried the stare again, and he just stared right back. That was when Mavis realized that little human kids were kind of adorable and that this one clearly wasn't getting the message.

"Um," she crouched down to the little boy's level, wincing, "Um, look, you're not supposed to be here, okay? And, uh, I'm not supposed to even be talking to you. So you need to go, go away now, like, shoo." She pointed back to where they'd come from, "Back to your own kind. To your...your pack? I get that right?" She frowned in thought as the kid blinked, "No? Your flock then? Your swarm? C'mon, what's a group of you call―you know, no, never mind. Just, uh, well, it was nice meeting you, but goodbye."

Satisfied with that, Mavis got up, brushing off her knees and walking off again. But the little boy still followed.

She turned around to glare, panic rising.

"I, as a superior species, command you to return to your herd, tiny thing!" she told him hastily, throwing out words she'd heard from her mother's rants over the phone.

She slumped when the kid just giggled. This wasn't working.

"Fine, do what you want, just don't pin it on me." she grumbled, stomping up the wall.

That finally got a rise out of the boy. Mavis glanced down at him from over her shoulder when she heard him gasp, as he stared with what looked like awe.

Bemused, she turned to walk backwards up the wall, before sitting to see what he'd do.

Staring at her, the kid stepped up to the wall, and put his hands on it, before making like he planned to pull himself up the stone by his hands. Seeing that whatever he was trying to do wasn't working, he backed up as if to step up onto the wall, stepped up, and fell heavily on his back with a _thud_.

Mavis couldn't help a laugh at the stunned expression, before shutting up when she saw tears start pricking at his eyes.

"Ah, sorry, geez, sorry that was bad, you okay?" she stammered, going back down the wall to make sure he wasn't broken.

He quickly nodded, sitting up to rub the back of his head, quickly wiping at his eyes, "I'm okay." he mumbled, before giving her a bright crooked-toothed smile.

Mavis blinked, taken aback that he actually spoke, he sounded kind of squeaky, before smiling back. She quickly stopped smiling when she remembered the gaps in her own teeth. She tried to look at him closely without looking like she was looking at him, he seemed alright.

She sat back a little, not quite at the floor yet, to wave at him, feeling awkward, "Um, what's your name?"

"I'm Jon'than." the kid replied, waving back and wiping off his nose at the same time, before looking at her properly, "Are you Spiderman?"

Mavis blinked.

"Spider-what?"

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha was calm, she was collected, serene, and in control. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself under her breath as she ran down the halls to the chorus of 'do not disturb's, she still had no idea why she hired those shrunken heads. She tries so hard to keep things in order and then variables turn up.<p>

Why couldn't a plan ever go according to plan?

She almost ran into her daughter a few halls down, and blinked when the girl jumped straight, holding her hands behind her.

Martha smiled nervously, "Mavis, honey bat, how are you doing? Are you okay?"

"'Es. No. Nothing, not doing anything." the girl squeaked. Then slumped, "Mom, I...I know you're gonna freak out, but..."

Mavis showed she'd been holding a small boy behind her back, propping him on her hip slightly possessively, and Martha recoiled.

"I know it looks bad!" Mavis said quickly while the child smiled cutely at the older vampire, "But he followed me and, geez, he's freaking adorable and, Mom, I-I know this is sudden, but can I keep this one? Humans make more humans all the time, don't they? They wouldn't miss one, right? He's just a small one, I can keep him in my room and we can teach him to be good and―"

Martha held up a hand, silencing her daughter, pinching the bridge of her nose. The first freaking day of this endeavor...

The first.

Freaking.

Day.

"Mavis," she started quietly, "Honey―no, don't give me the face―this child belongs to a mother, who would miss him very much."

Martha's sure the woman would miss one, honest.

"And humans just don't belong here. He's small, yes, but he can be taught, you say? Who knows. But humans grow, and can't be kept in safety. I had _told_ you not to―..."

Martha kept her face blank at Mavis's slowly falling expression, before the young girl couldn't meet her mother's eyes.

The child was looking between the two vampires, a confused expression on his face.

"I'm disappointed." Martha continued reluctantly.

She watched her daughter flinch slightly.

"It's..._good _that...you found a small one... But I'm sorry, you can't keep him. They don't stay small, or sweet. It'd be best," Martha moved forward carefully, hands gently outstretched, "That you forget about this one, alright? Let me return him to his mother. Give me the boy, Mavis."

Mavis glanced at her mother, from where she'd been staring at the floor, then at the child, before biting her lip, and obediently holding the child out for her mother.

If Martha took the boy a little quicker from her daughter than was necessary, neither of them commented on it.

"Go back to your room, please," Martha continued calmly, automatically shifting the child to her hip, "I think you've seen enough today. We'll talk later."

Mavis waited, before nodding once, slowly, "Yes, Mom... I'm sorry."

Martha nodded, and turned to go back to where Helen would be waiting in the lobby.

Mavis looked up to see Jonathan looking back at her over her mother's shoulder. Jonathan smiled at her, and waved.

The young vampire froze, before quietly, hesitatingly waving back, and then going back to her room.

A little bit of confusion, a little bit of hurt, and a tiny nugget of anger.

She kicked at her door frame on her way back in, to her door's shrunken head's displeasure, before listlessly landing face-first on her bed.

_No, Mom, that was **not** okay!_ she wanted to yell. What had been so bad about a little human boy? He'd been _adorable!_ What the _heck?!_

So, for perhaps the first time, Mavis did not like her mother.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha walked calmly along the hall, hyper-aware of the warm little weight she was holding to her waist.<p>

She glared at the child in question, who was looking uncomfortable, but docile.

"You are lucky you are small," she decided to tell the boy flatly, "And defenseless. And that you have no idea what I talk about."

The boy blinked at her, and she rolled her eyes, unable to hold any real anger against a child.

"You will remain a chubby marshmallow when you grow up," she decided, disgruntled, "And have poor success in human courting."

The boy proved to be a poor conversationalist, remaining silent as the vampire continued down the hall.

Well, at least it proved he had some survival instincts.

"And your mother will put you on a _leash _until you reach your kind's adolescence."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Two main things would come out of this brief meeting of innocence between the species.<p>

One would be journal, starting with the memories of finding out what 'Spiderman' was and answering all kinds of little human boy questions.

Another would be a picture, drawn by a five-year-old-going-on-six's hand for class, on what they found interesting at the hotel for monsters.

It would use a lot of black, be titled 'I met Spider-lady', and be of a little stick figure that looked like it was walking up a wall.

A stick figure with a skirt and a very distinct black haircut.

The stick figure would be walking up the wall with a smaller stick figure who looked like a broom with the shock of red hair drawn on it.

In what looked like a last-minute touch, a big heart was sloppily drawn around the two in an eye-searing pink crayon.

Helen had decided, upon seeing the picture, that it would be best _not_ to tell Martha about this particular development.

Besides, the two would forget about each other eventually.

Right?


	5. Chapter 5

_Five years later, in the year of 2002, New Year's winter._

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha swept into the room next to her office, her bedroom.<p>

"Good evening, dear." she sighed tiredly in passing to the partially covered portrait that took up a good part of wall. Her deceased husband's cheerful blue eyes beamed out at the viewer. She looks at the portrait, feeling the wistful tug at the corners of her mouth. How could she not help but smile back at that?

"Today is busy. As it often is." she went on, feeling slightly less stressed, sitting down to take care of writing a letter. Some things could still be done in the old-fashioned way, thank goodness. She hated dealing with computer screens for messages, getting the most unimaginable headache with their light. At least the screen lights garnered easy moths at times.

"Your daughter is getting...rebellious."

She made a face to herself, pausing with the pen. "No, no, best not complain. This is probably just a...a phase. It's just―she keeps trying to sneak things past me all the time, she tries to listen to their music lately. I found a CD under her pillow! They spelled 'Beetles' wrong, and there were no insects in any of the lyrics! And the lyrics are just bizarre!" She propped her chin on her hand, feeling frustrated, "The song where one of them was a walrus was kind of amusing, though..." she shook her head quickly, "But what am I supposed to do? She's becoming," she cringed at the word, "A _sympathizer_..."

Doesn't the girl remember anything Martha tells her any more?

"Is it attention that she's seeking? I do try to spend time with her," Martha went on quietly, "It's just hard when I'm so busy..."

"Ma'am!"

She jumped at the sudden exclamation, glaring wearily at a suit of armor, "What is it?" she asked irritably, remembering her stress.

"It is nothing, ma'am," he saluted, "With all due respect just commenting that it is very creepy when you talk to yourself, ma'am!"

A few beats of silence pass where she stares at the servant.

The armors couldn't express themselves per se, but she was sure this one would be sweating, with the way he was rattling. She sighed, "Find yourself a red, pointy hat, wear it, and go pretend to be a lawn gnome ornament somewhere near the courtyard for a month while rethinking your existence."

"R-right away, ma'am, thank you, ma'am!" the armor squeaked with genuine gratitude before fleeing the prospects of a worse punishment. She'd chastised similar comments with equally inane tasks, for example having another suit of armor in question stand on the castle's roof to be a lightning conductor, or another time having one of them pose as a statue in the gardens, which according to the armory gossip 'wasn't too bad of a gig except for all the bloody pigeons'. They were probably unconventional and unusual means of punishment, but she had to get her kicks where she could. She propped her chin on both hands, now distracted from her task.

"I just don't know where I'm going _wrong_..." she sighed unhappily.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"I just don't get what I'm doing wrong!" Mavis complained to her mirror, which showed only the room behind her, "Any time! Any time I want to get some perspective she just...squishes it!" She turns, making a slightly sweet, cynical expression, "Mavis, of <em>course<em> you may interact with humans, but only if they are dead or serving us or under my control. _Bleh!_ No music beyond the classical, it will poison your mind. _Bleh!_ No dressing in such gaudy colors, do you want to be a target? _Bleh!" _She threw her hands up in finality, stomping towards the wall, "Bleh, bleh, _bleh!"_

She stepped on a picture on her way up the wall, in what was a slightly more intentional than absent-minded gesture, before laying on the ceiling.

"Mom's at a meeting," she sighed as she began ticking off on her fingers, in a quieter, more resigned tone, "Mom's having a phone call, Mom's having a wrathful breakdown, Mom needs to have a rest in peace, Mom's having a staff review, your mother's dealing with a business conference..." the list gradually went on until the girl ran out of fingers. She laid back on the ceiling, staring at the floor, chewing her bottom lip between her full-grown fangs.

"Bleh..."

Okay, maybe she was being a little unfair. A hotel was a big thing. But sometimes it seemed like the hotel stuff took more of Mom's attention than humans did. Or a combination of the two, humans and hotel. She was going to be turning 108 this year, and was actually looking forward to it, when she'd get some real, business-free girl time with her Mom, and maybe her aunts. Maybe this year she could ask again if maybe she could go to a human town, on her own. She traveled once with her Mom on a PR tour, but she hadn't been allowed to do _anything _or see _anybody _and it had been so boring to just wait in the hearse between stops and during interviews, with just the knights to talk to. They had a few hotels cropping up throughout Europe now, but Mavis always had to stay at the one in Transylvania. Last she heard, Mom was discussing opening up another chain in the Americas. No doubt Mavis wouldn't be allowed to have any fun there, either. If she could see one, just _one _human town with humans her Mom didn't scare the crap out of, she'd be content. Honest.

"I'm not 'scaring' them, that's not done any more. I'm intimidating them," Mom had told her, surprised that she wasn't getting such a 'simple fact'.

"Otherwise they will think we're weak."

"What's wrong with at least being a little friendly?" Mavis had complained, "You keep saying monsters and humans are equal, so why are humans so-o-o bad, huh?"

"Because _they_ don't see _us_ as equals," Martha snapped, and Mavis knew she was trying the older vampire's patience.

"They aren't... It's complicated. You'll understand when you're older."

"But I'm older _now_."

"Older than now."

"_Mom._"

"_Enough_, Mavis," the woman snarled, then quickly balked when she realized she'd almost roared at the girl, and her expression had softened, ". . . I'm sorry. It's...it's been a long day, honey bat. Here, why don't we go hunting for scorpions tonight? Would you like that?"

Mavis had stayed silent, standing there, glaring at the edge of the desk.

Martha sighed, "I'll ask again later, then. Why don't you go practice your needlework?"

An irate little bat flapped out of the office, with the parting grumble of "It's _always_ a 'long day'..."

Martha had gently faceplanted her desk, silently praying that this was just a phase the girl was going through.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Okay, so stuff wasn't so cool between Mavis and her mom. She'd quietly, subtly pester while her mother would sternly, not so subtly say 'no'. The human tours were Mavis's advantage. She was careful not to let any kids follow her again, but she'd sneak around and watch the humans. There were a lot of varieties in age, and a lot more <em>of<em> them once word had spread around from the first tour. Some of the hotel guests interacted with these tours, too, and while some of it was awkward or strained, it seemed fine for the most part. Then she found Quasimodo, wheeling/riding a cloth-covered cart down the hallway, the Esmerelda rat in tow.

Mavis frowned. The goblin usually stuck to the kitchens, leaving the room deliveries to his 'incompetent underlings', though he did seem to get a little antsy around the time of the human tours. She'd admit she was curious. She appeared in front of him, smiling, "Hey, Modo!"

He stopped, looking startled, before smiling cheerfully, "Ah, bonjour, little Miss Mavis! Uh, can I help you?"

Mavis shook her head, peering at the cart's cloth curiously. Was it moving? Quasimodo kicked it, a bright smile still on his face.

"I was wondering if you wanted help, actually," she mentioned, blinking when Esmerelda began squeaking frantically, "Is she okay?"

"Esmerelda is fine, oui!" Quasimodo answered quickly, beginning to maneuver the cart around the girl, "She is just, uh, reminding me that we have some place to be quite quickly for quite important, imperative things, but I am in no need of help, merci, so if you would just excusez-moi!"

Now Mavis was perched on the cart, tilting her head to listen to the distinct muffled sounds that came from it.

"What's the hurry?" she asked politely, raising an eyebrow, "Quasi...?"

"It is just one!" the chef exclaimed, throwing up his hands, "A scrawny, insignificant one! No one appreciates my artistic vision for cuisine, Miss Mavis, I beg of you!"

"We don't eat guests," Mavis pointed out patiently, "And humans aren't on the menu any more, I'm sorry. Look, if you just let the human go now, I won't tell Mom, okay?"

Quasimodo looked crestfallen, before scuttling off with Esmerelda, muttering things in French that Mavis couldn't make out. It was kind of sad.

She looked down at the cart she stood on, hopping down to crouch next to it. It muffled something in question. "Sorry 'bout that," she told it sheepishly, "I can't be seen with you, so I'm gonna leave you in there to keep things on the downlow. I'll let you out when we're near your own kind, okay?"

The cart's occupant muffled in affirmative.

She wheeled the cart gently back down the hallway, slightly chewing on her lip. Yeah, best not to be caught with a human in the hallway for a second time.

Mom would definitely not approve.

When she found a secluded alcove near enough to the lobby, she took off the cloth, and blinked at the captive.

"You?" she uttered, meeting his eyes, feeling a strange shock.

"You!" the redheaded boy said happily, after she took the gag and restraints off, "Spider-lady!"

Mavis stood back, stunned as he uncontorted himself from the cart, "Okay, _not_ the best ride ever, next time I'll ask a knight-guy for the bathroom..." and she blinked again when he stood, she backing up a little. His head was level at her shoulder now. He couldn't be called tall by any means, but still... He grinned up at her. He had glasses, had lost the chubbiness, could definitely be called scrawny, and his teeth were crooked, "Hi!"

"Hey," she mumbled, ". . . Johnny?"

He seemed excited, "You remember!"

"You grew." she said flatly, and he blinked.

"Well, yeah," he looked at her shoulder, frowning, then shrugging, smiling, "Not as tall as you yet, though."

"But it's only been..." she stopped that sentence, shaking her head, smiling uneasily, "No, um, y-you should go back now."

Johnny blinked, "Why?"

"Because you're not supposed to see me." she explained still startled by what wasn't such a little boy any more, "Uh, nice to see you, and, um, good bye, Johnny."

She began to walk away, but heard him stumble after her, "No, hey, wait, Spider-lady!"

"My name's _not_―" she began, turning around, to receive a 10-? 11?-year-old kid to the stomach, "_Oohf!_"

"Sorry!" he said quickly, backing off while she got her breath back.

"S'okay... Name's not 'Spider-lady'..." she wheezed, before straightening up, shaking her head tiredly. "My name's Mavis." she corrected him.

Johnny blinked, "Mavis is a cool name." he decided, smiling happily. Mavis felt a strange warmth in her face when he held out his hand, "Nice to meet you, Mavis!"

She gingerly shook his hand, "Uh, nice to meet you, too, Johnny." she mumbled.

He nodded, a faint grinning blush on the boy's face, "Okay." He shook her hand again, his hand was almost as big as hers, and then he began walking back down the hall, backwards, still grinning at her, waving, "But yeah, you're right, I should get back before my mom freaks. Thanks for the save! See you later, Mavis, okay?"

The young vampire waved uncertainly, "Bye, Johnny."

They both kept awkwardly waving until he disappeared back into the lobby. Mavis stood there for a moment, before clapping her hands to her face, feeling the shock.

"Holy rabies." she mumbled, eyes wide, and then a small tremulous grin spread on her face, "Holy rabies!"

She fled back down towards the hall to her room, and the hallway was empty.

From the shadows of the alcove Martha stepped out, looking quietly displeased. She would have to have a word with her relations agent.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Mavis's thoughts were like this.<p>

Friendly, freaking adorable little―mixed feelings. Was Mom wrong?

Hah, Mom was wrong!

Was Mom wrong, though?

Was Mavis right?

Mavis was in so much trouble.

Mavis should keep quiet.

Holy freaking rabies that had been incredible!

Mavis was a giggling little mess on her way back to her room, thinking of a new entry for the journal, titled 'I Have A Human Friend'.

She wouldn't see Johnny again during this tour, and she wouldn't see him at all during the one five years from then. She suspected Mom had something to do with it, but she knew she couldn't ask, and she knew Mom wouldn't answer. But that one brief meeting with that one little boy would be a bright little blot of hope in her otherwise frustrated, gradually down-spiralling journal entries. She and her mother would get along, for the most part, though they would have their differences and their arguments. Mavis and Martha would both enjoy the young girl's birthday, and discussions about humans and the interactions thereof would be kept to a minimum. But just because something isn't spoken about, doesn't mean it's not there. That would be very much evident come the young vampire's 118th birthday, ten years later.


	6. Chapter 6

_10 years later, early in the month of September.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Good evening, love." Martha said, giving an affectionate rub to the girl's hair after her daughter kissed her cheek.<p>

"Evening, Mom." Mavis replied, happy she got to catch her mother at breakfast this time, snagging some grub cakes for herself. Not quite as awesome as worm cakes, but nice enough, "Uh, what's your night look like?" she asked, sitting across from the older vampire, taking a bite from one of the muffins after spreading mouse jelly on it.

"It's light," Martha assured her, watching for that small smile on her daughter's face, "Two more weeks." the woman continued excitedly. Both sets of eyes were brighter at the prospect, equally excited, they both loved the girl's birthdays. After they finished their breakfasts, Martha's face fell a little, "Two more weeks..." she repeated, her smile turning misty-eyed.

Mavis chuckled, nudging her own plate aside, "Mom, c'mon, it's just another birthday, right?" Her mother stared at her with an eyebrow raised, and Mavis couldn't keep it in, finally grinning widely, "Alright, so it's gonna be a totally _awesome_ one that I've waited for-what-feels-like-_ever_ for."

"Of course." Martha sighed, smiling, fork idly picking at the remnants of her milkweed omelet, "You'll have to give me a birthday list soon, you know." she adds.

Mavis nodded, finishing her breakfast, then bit her lip, smiling hopefully, "Yeah, uh, about that, I kinda have something in mind already, if..."

Silence ticked for a few seconds, before Martha finally looked up to take in her daughter's obviously hopeful expression.

"You want to go out into the world on your own, I know," Martha said idly, "The answer is no."

"I knew you were gonna say thaaat..." Mavis groaned, faceplanting the table.

"Oh, stop that," Martha chided, rolling her eyes, "And face _out_ of your food, you are eating from a plate, not a carcass. _How_ old are you turning again?"

"Old enough!" Mavis protested, lifting her head quickly, "Mom, I'm turning _118_, I can drive a _hearse_. I think I'm getting a little old for parties anyway. Don't you think it's about time I did something by _myself_ for a change?" She saw her mother's frown and quickly calmed down, changing tactics, "I mean, I'll be inheriting the management of the hotel eventually." she said, putting on a look of concern, "I should start, you know, trying to put myself out there as myself, make my own rep."

"One, it's 'reputation', not 'rep', and those are more earned than made," Martha corrected, chin on her hand as she regarded her daughter wearily. It was too early in the night for this, "Two, are you so eager for me to get old _that _quickly?"

_"No_, that's not what I - _Mom_," Mavis protested, "If not for business, j-just for study, then? I...I could hide my fangs and stick to walking on just the floors and―"

"An even worse idea." Martha cut her off, "Humans. Are. _Dangerous_, Mavis. Even to their own kind. They'd be even more so if they realized your attempts to trick them, interpreting it as an attack. They would have guns, knives, flamethrowers, devices of torture, secrets... And I wouldn't be there to save you. Perhaps you'll be old enough for some things, but in this? You're not ready."

". . . When _will_ I be ready, then? And if humans are so freaking bad, why do you keep them?" Mavis asked plainly. It always came to that question. Even as they spoke, a mix of zombie and gargoyle staff were filing in to begin cleaning up the dishes. Some of the zombies were considered 'fresh' by certain standards. Both vampires watched each other.

"You'll be ready," Martha said quietly, "When I decide the world is ready for you."

"Seems to be taking a while." Mavis grumbled.

"The Great Wall wasn't built in a decade, sweetie. As for them," she gestured bluntly to the undead workers, a genuine smile of gratitude and what might have even been pride on her face as one politely took her plate, "These ones are different. They are loyal to me. I know them, I own them, I control them. Therefore I can trust them. They're the only humans we can trust."

Which was as good as saying that they could trust humans over their literal dead bodies.

Mavis watched as one of Mom's favorite zombies, Dana - Mom said she never picked favorites, but Mavis knew better - nodded indulgently at the vampire, almost sadly smiling. The young vampire then looked at her mother, "When can I have my own humans, then?" the girl asked.

Martha's smile widened a little, her daughter was thinking along the right lines, "When _you _can be trusted to take care of and control them."

Mavis's face fell, "How can I learn how to take care of 'em if I can't even interact with one?!"

"You've interacted with plenty." Martha pointed out.

"Only with you around. Not on my own." Mavis pointed out in turn, growing stubborn.

"What difference should that ma―?"

"It makes every difference!" Mavis complained, standing, getting frustrated, "All _they_ see is _you_."

Martha frowned, not pleased with where this conversation was turning, "Now slow down a minute―"

"For crying out loud I might as well be standing in front of a _mirror_," her daughter went on, "'Cause when I'm with _you _all anyone _else _sees is the _daughter of Dracula._"

"And that's what they _should_ see." Martha snapped, then balked when she realized that hadn't sounded as she'd wanted it to, "I mean...you as...a Dracula..."

Mavis stared, frustrated, disappointed, and the heavy silence was awkward as the servants decidedly were _not_ hearing what was going on. Not at all. Nope.

"I'll send you my birthday list later, then..." the girl mumbled, the picture of submission as she dragged her feet out of the dining hall.

Martha stared at the door, then faceplanted the table, steadfastly ignoring the plate inches from her head before it was taken away.

This time she'd really done it.

"One week," she growled hopelessly into the table cloth, "Can't we go _one week_ without this argument?"

Dana patted her cloaked shoulder in sympathy, "Tee'njurrsh..." the zombie slurred in amusement.

"Tell me about it." the countess grumbled unhappily.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Glad you could make it!" Mavis's doorknob hanger sassed.<p>

"How is she?" Martha asked calmly.

"'Kay, whatever you did, you better fix it fast, that's all I'm sayin'." the shrunken head sniffed disapprovingly, "The child's goin' _bats_." Martha stared at the thing, clearly unamused, and the head rolled the eyes she didn't have, "Hon, don't blame _me_, you left that wide open." was the only thing the head said in apology.

Martha rolled her own eyes in return, "Yes, yes, I have it covered. Just relax." she told it, before going into her daughter's room.

"Mavis?" she said softly, walking in carefully, "Mavis, honey? You haven't been down for lunch..."

She saw the nibbled-on rabbit bones on the windowsill, feeling reassured that at least the girl had eaten _something_.

She found Mavis lying on her bed face-down, a piece of paper in her hand titled 'Birthday List'. The sheet is blank. Mavis showed no sign of acknowledging that her mother had come in. Martha sighed, moving to sit next to her daughter, feeling the mattress sink slightly with her weight. Waiting awkwardly in the silence, she looked around her daughter's room. The theme of clashing darkness and shades of pink and black that strangely went well together, her daughter's personal touches in a hotel room, things of softness and modernization in the room of aged wood, rough stone, and comforting conformity. Pillows, stuffed animals, scraps of fabrics from crafting projects scattered in the corners, half-written, half-sketched things on the desk, pictures and posters taped to the walls. Everything had a nice, warm-glowing feel with the candlelight contrasting with the darkness outside.

Mavis suddenly mumbled something into the bedspread, making the woman look down in confusion, "What was that?"

"I said I'm not a little girl anymore." Mavis repeated sullenly.

She lifted her head to look at her mother through mussed-up bangs, settling her head down again to roll on her side.

_Yes you are,_ Martha wanted to tell her, but instead she sighed, looking at the floor, "I just want you to be aware of what's _out_ there, I want you to be safe."

Mavis was silent for a minute, before she spoke. "I can't be both, not really." Mavis said tiredly, sitting up.

"I can't be 'aware of what's out there' if you won't even let me go."

Martha scowled a little, but didn't let her daughter see it, turning away.

"Is my _knowing_ what's out there not enough for you?" she asked instead, hearing the hurt in her own voice, "Is my being with you so _terrible_...?"

"Is―? No, no, _Mom_..." she heard Mavis whine, feeling her press into her side, trying to get her mother to look at her, "I didn't mean it like _that_..."

"You know what humans did to monsters," Martha continued, not having to fake the bitterness, "You know what they _would _do if we show any weakness, what they _did_..."

"Mom, I'm _sorry_," Mavis cut in, tugging at the woman's cloak, hating when her mom got like this, "I'm sorry, okay? Please, just stop."

Martha quickly turned to hug her child, feeling the girl quickly breathe out in relief and embrace her in return. ". . . _I'm_ sorry," Martha said quietly, stroking her daughter's hair, "That wasn't fair of me, Mavis..." She felt the girl's shoulders shrug, but Mavis wasn't letting her go, "Oh, honey bat, you are a daughter of Dracula, and you are so much _more_, alright? Don't _ever_ think you are limited by your name. Or do you not like your name?" she asked, slightly joking.

Mavis shook her head again vigorously, burrowing her face into her mother's shoulder, and the women relaxed.

After a few more heartbeats her daughter sat back, coughing, trying to regain her composure, sitting to face her mother full on. "It's just," Mavis shifted uncomfortably, then revealed something else she'd been holding from under the birthday list, "You were out there all the time, weren't you? With Dad?"

Martha blinked, "What?"

Mavis shrugged, "Y'know, in paradise..."

Martha blinked at the faded, aged postcard in her daughter's hands, taken aback. "You mean Hawaii..." she corrected the girl absently, carefully taking it from her.

Mavis blinked politely, "Ha-what-what?"

"Never mind. Where did you get this?" Martha asked, tracing her fingers along the lines of the tourist-y cursive, feeling the rasp of dusty card paper.

How long has it been now?

"From one of your drawers. You don't really talk about him much." Martha glanced at her daughter, and Mavis continued, smiling a little at her mother. "Auntie Wanda told me how you were both always _out_ there, even around human places. Then one day you met Dad and you two just went like - _zing!"_

Martha chuckled, a little choked up on the memory, "Hmhm, well, he never really thought about the zinging thing. But yes, this is where we met."

She turned the old card over in her hands. It had lasted this long...

"Why can't we do stuff like that now? Just go to paradise?" Mavis asked softly.

Martha's fingers nearly clenched, before gently setting the card on Mavis's nightstand.

"You know the answer to that, love." she said calmly.

She felt Mavis's silent stare, before suddenly her daughter shifted to meet her eyes.

"What can I do," she asked Martha steadily, "To get you to trust me?"

The older vampire blinked, biting her lip, a habit of her daughter's that rubbed off on her at times, or maybe vice versa.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, smiling sadly as she brushed a stray strand of hair behind Mavis's ear, "It's not that I don't trust you. I just wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to you..." Which to Mavis pretty much meant the same thing. When Martha saw the beginnings of a pouty bat face, she nudged her under the chin with a finger, seeing her husband's bright blue eyes in her daughter's face, "You _will_ get to go out there, one day," she assured Mavis, "I promise. Just please, don't ask again... Alright?"

Mavis sighed, nodding as her mother's hand cupped her cheek. The young girl looked thoughtful.

"I've thought of some other stuff, for my birthday." she said, changing the subject, and looked down at her blank list and grimaced, "Uh, in my head. I'll write 'em down."

Martha chuckled, "Everyone's coming over this week," she told her daughter, "Your aunts and uncles. They all decided to arrive early for such a big day."

Mavis's eyes lit up, "Even Uncle Griffin?"

Martha grimaced, "Ye-es, him too. Maybe."

The little vampire punched the air, bouncing them both a little on the mattress, instantly cheered up with a full-fanged smile, "That's awesome!"

The older vampire grumbled reluctantly at the thought of the annoying invisible man, but smiled a little herself.

"You'll have the 'best-est most special-est' birthday ever." she teased her daughter, who giggled in disbelief, surprised.

"You did _not_ just say that." Mavis laughed uneasily.

Martha nodded, purposefully pitching her voice to disgustingly sweet levels, "I di~id... Because it's going to be your _best-est most spec―"_

"LAlalalala~! Gah!" Her daughter looked caught between a laugh and a gag at the baby talk, waving her hand, "Out! Out, out, out, geez, I'm gonna get a toothache!"

Martha smirked, "Says the young lady who has a surplus stash of candy in her wardrobe?"

Mavis stiffened, "I never said I had - how did―? _Mo_-om, space!" she protested, shooing at the door.

Martha laughed, "Okay, okay, space. I'll see you at dinner, I hope?"

The young vampire nodded in confirmation, waving with a smile as Martha left.

. . .

Martha leaned against the door, exhaling with relief, "She's fine." she said aloud, smiling wistfully, then frowned, "It _seems_."

That _had_ been a suspiciously abrupt change of subject.

"Ooh, here we go again..." the shrunken head sighed.

"Hush up." Martha grumbled, thinking. That had been a bit too easy to smooth over. Knowing the girl, she was probably still restless. Still..._thinking_...

. . .

Mavis laid back down on her bed, staring at the canopy, chewing her lip in thought. So Mom couldn't think of a way to trust her. So maybe Mavis would have to take that into her own hands. She scavenged through her desk and found a map of the grounds of the hotel, and the plots of land surrounding it. She spread it open over her desk under the light of a fresh candle, scanning the parchment with a frown. It wouldn't be anywhere like Ha-Wee-Wee, but it _should_ be enough to get her mom to see what Mavis was capable of, what Mavis was so _sure_ of...

She remembered a chubby little toddler and a gawky little kid with an adorable smile, and smiled herself. She knew what she saw. She just had to get Mom to see it, too.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p><em>One week later...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Good evening, and welcome to Hotel Transylvania." Martha greeted the guests warmly from the stairs, "I hope you all have traveled well." Her face lit up, even as her smile stiffened into an instinctive grimace at the pack of werewolf pups that began to rampage through her lobby. She quickly relaxed when she met her friends.<p>

"Wanda! Wayne!" she hugged her friend, smoothly avoiding crowding the swell of the werewolf's stomach, before turning to the husband, "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"So are we. It's nice to get out of the shadows for a while." he agreed, then his ears laid back unhappily as a crash resounded, followed by yipping howls, "Yeah."

Wanda chuckled, "It was a crowded ride, but it's always worth it. It's wonderful to see you."

"Yes, yes, it is good to see you and all your lovely children," Martha smiled indulgently, giving an affectionate pat to her furry cheek, "Let me just clean up their filth. Housekeeping!"

She noticed one pup gnawing on the hem of her cloak, gently picking him up by his scruff, "Now, you're, ah, Wilson, aren't you?" she asked. The little boy nodded nervously, her cape still trailing from his muzzle. She smiled, "This is a hotel lobby, Wilson, not a cemetery. Okay?"

"S'rry, Auntie Martha." the pup whined, and she gave him a gentle pat on the head before putting him down.

She looked around at the breeze that blew in through the room.

"Here comes the PAR-TAAAY!"

Mavis stared at the mummy sand-surfing into the hall, a wide grin in his bandages, "Wayne, Wanda!" She flinched when he came up to her, "Lady _Drac_, how've ya―?!"

"Sand, Murray?" she protested, quickly looming over him, showing him a palmful of the stuff, _"Always_ with the sand, for just one entrance could you _not_...?!"

Murray shrugged with a smile while more staff swept the evidence his arrival away, hugging her around the shoulder, "Aw, c'mon, Mar, chill a little."

She slumped, frowning, "I am the epitome of 'chill'." she stated flatly.

"Yeah-ha, like the _dead!" _the mummy laughed, causing a few zombies to scowl at him, and his eyes shifted nervously, "Uh, I meant cool, _cool_ like 'em."

"I'll get you a shovel to help you dig that hole of yours deeper." Martha decided to chuckle, patting him on the shoulder, "It _is_ good that you made it."

"Wouldn't miss it." he agreed soberly, smiling.

A couple of bellhops were tripped up by the rambunctious werewolf pups, one of their packages bursting open to let Frank's head tumble out.

Martha let Murray and Frank meet and greet, checking Eunice's box, starting back as a well-manicured claw of a nail neatly tore it open from within.

"Still traveling by 'express', I take it?" she mirthfully asked the flesh golem.

One of woman's hands began counting off its own fingers while she sorted herself out, "Hey, it saves us money, it stops Frank's whining, the packing stuff keeps my clammy complexion, and I don't have to share. Far as I know I'm goin' first class.'" Eunice giggled, putting herself together and embracing Martha, before backing off to look her up and down, an expression of polite distaste crossing her stitching, "Honey, seriously, you're gonna _have _to let me at your wardrobe at some point. I mean, let your hair down or somethin'. 'Belladonna of the Boardroom' is _so _last century."

Martha's smile twists, looking her friend up and down, "And how long have you had _that_ hair?"

"Ohh, don't you go there," Eunice warned, tapping Martha's brooch, "I go with what _works_."

"So do I." Martha countered, grinning as she patted the woman's shoulder, "So I'd like to think we _both_ work it, eh?"

But Eunice was staring somewhere behind Martha.

"Uh, what's up with your cape, girl?" Mrs. Stein asked.

Martha blinked, "My what?" Now she just noticed it hovering behind her strangely.

What was―?

She let out an uncharacteristic _squeak_ when something unmentionable occurred, whirling around angrily, cheeks flushed, "Okay, who did that?!"

"Sorry," a disembodied voice chuckled, "Couldn't resist."

Her eyes narrowed, glaring uncertainly at the empty space, "_You_..."

An attempted slap towards the voice earned her nothing but air.

"Missed me!"

Oh-ho-ho-kay, he was going to get it. She tried again―

"Whoops!"

Trying to―

_"So_ close!"

Claw.

His.

_Face._

"Doo~o duh-duh dum! _Can't_ touch this!"

Martha gritted her teeth, aiming another swipe at that irritating voice, claws extended.

"Ahh, this never gets old." Griffin laughs, putting his glasses on as she came at him again.

An invisible hand caught her wrist, and she blinked when she was suddenly in a tango form, which looked awkward when her 'partner' was invisible.

"Ya _miss_ me that much, milady?" he asks smugly.

Martha smirks, "How could I, when I never get much of a view?"

The glasses form a scowl when the others laughed at him, "Oh, har-dee-_har._"

Suddenly she was in a waltz dip, blinking at the glasses and the ceiling. "I think you still owe me a dance, don't you?" he suggested, playing it up.

Martha stared, then rolled her eyes, shrugging, "Fine, you win." she sighed, then reached into her vest as he straightened, sensing his surprise.

"But first, would you hold this bacon?"

He looked confused, taking the strip of meat, "Uh, okay? Why do you want me to hold this ba―GAH! AAGHAHAH, GET 'EM OFF!"

She laughed with the others when he was immediately swarmed by the majority of Wanda's brood, appreciating being able to 'see' the fool's desperate flailing.

Never gets old.

"So, where's the birthday bat hangin'?" Murray asked.

Martha sighed, her smile a bit more subdued as she moved to an elevator, "In her room. I'll see if I can coax her down. My little girl's going to be so happy..."

"You know, she's not so little anymore." Frank chuckled.

Martha suddenly faced him with bright silver eyes with black pinpoints for pupils and a face-splitting grin of FAR too many needle-fine teeth, making them all startle back. _"Yes she IS."_ the vampire said in a harsh hiss through her teeth, eyes unblinking, lips unmoving. Her eyes flashed orange with a brief blood-curdling _ROAR_ before resuming her usual polite, benign smile as the elevator doors closed.

. . .

"Woah, Lady _Drac_. Try _'Barracuda_ of the Boardroom', I right?" the invisible laughed nervously in the scared-stiff silence.

"Now, Griffin, she's just stressed." Wanda chided, "This is a big thing for the both of them. Vlad would be so happy for this..." she sighed, smiling wistfully.

"He is." Frank assured them, "And I'm sure Martha knows it."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hey, human!" Mavis said, waving with a small smile, "My name is Mavis Dracula and―" she frowned at the empty mirror, "No."<p>

She tried again.

"Hi, I'm Mavis Dracula, it's nice to meet you, huma―no."

"Hello, human, I'm from the hotel and―no, that's not gonna work..."

"Um, hello, I'm Mavis Dracula! Yeah, I know, daughter of Dracula, but you don't have to worry, since we don't eat _real_―no, that's just _stupid_ - agh!"

"Why am I so awkward?!" she complained to the mirror.

The mirror didn't give her any epiphanies.

Mavis pouted, before stalking over her desk to look over the map again, tapping thoughtfully at a spot, yet frustrated. Sure, this was all fine in _theory_, but reality was just, well, _awkward_. How does she even _start _to talk to humans without sounding like some little kid or like her mother? She'd thought about practicing with some of the humans who came for the tours, but it either ended up that Mom 'intimidated' them off, or Mavis got stage fright and couldn't even approach one. The zombies or the living human staff couldn't qualify. It was the hotel that did it. It became clear that she had to approach a human unaffiliated with the hotel. But what could she even talk _about?_

. . .

Martha walked along the hall to the chorus of 'Do not disturb!'s, encountering a cleaning witch who smiled brightly at her, "Good evening, Your Grace!"

The vampire nodded with a brief smile in passing, "Good evening, Haggie."

Martha moved on, always slightly taken aback by some of the servants' apparent 'giddiness' in her presence. It must have been her suit that did it.

"Aaand looks who's back. High traffic today, folks!" the shrunken head observed.

"Is she up yet?" Martha asked bluntly, not in the mood for banter.

"Oh, yeah, she's up and about, plottin' and broodin' like you know _you_ do."

Martha scowled, irritated and slightly concerned, "I don't _brood_. I contemplate deeply. _Thank _you."

"Mmmhm, whatever you say."

She ignored the impudent doorknob hanger to go inside.

"Good evening, Mavis."

Mavis jumped, and with the quick speed inherent to her species covered up the map with sketches of clothing designs and other random junk.

"Mom, hey, evening!" she breathed out, facing her mother, trying to lean casually against her desk, a smile plastered to her face.

Martha's eyes flicked briefly to the now mess-of-a-desk, before smiling at her daughter, "Everyone's here."

Mavis nodded quickly, "That's great!" Then she calmed down, her grin softening to something more genuine, "That's...great."

"Yes... They're all excited to see you." Martha told her, "Why don't you come down now and say hello?"

Mavis's hands fidgeted nervously behind her fingers curling over the edge of her desk, "Um... Actually, Mom, there's something I want to..."

Before the young vampire could go on, her door already opened to let everyone file in, crowding Martha aside and practically hemming Mavis in.

"One more week, kid," Wayne chuckled, while Wanda and Eunice went to hug Mavis, "Congrats!"

"I was going to bring her down..." Martha said to Wanda, a bit put out.

"We couldn't wait." Wanda shrugged, smiling apologetically, paws on the swell of her stomach.

"So what crazy thing are you gonna do, 'sides party? You gotta do somethin' crazy," Murray asked excitedly, "Like that art of yours would make some sick graffiti!"

"Murray!" Martha protested.

"Nah, man, grow up, she's turning _118_ here," Griffin chastised the mummy, glasses frowning in affront, "I'd go for setting a hearse on fire."

"NO." Martha and Frank said flatly.

"Sheesh, what are you guys, seventy-three-year-olds? She's gonna be a young _woman_ for crying out loud," Eunice scoffed, "What this bat should go for is a makeover, hair, clothes, the works. Not that you need it, pretty girl," she assured Mavis sweetly, "It's just something every young woman should try out."

"Well, I thought of something," Mavis spoke up uneasily, getting everyone's attention, looking nervously at her mother, "I, uh, actually kind of..."

Martha was staring.

Mavis felt _really_ cornered.

"Wanted...to..."

Martha wasn't frowning, or glaring. Just staring. Watching. Very. Closely.

Mavis felt like sweating.

"To..."

Martha's eyes maybe narrowed just the _smallest_ bit. Mavis swallowed.

"T-to go, uh, make a light show out of a Tesla coil. From the hotel roof." she finished hopelessly.

For a moment everyone's paused, processing this.

Wanda patted Mavis's shoulder, "That sounds lovely, dear."

Martha looked confused.

"Now _that _I can help with." Frank said happily.

Griffin looked at the Stein, "Dude, you freak out over fire, but _lightning's _just fine?"

Frank scowled defensively, "Conductivity and combustibility are two different things, man, don't judge..."

"The makeover thing still sounds cool though, just nothing too big." she told Eunice, who smiled, pleased.

"A makeover is never 'too big'. We can make a girl thing out of it," Eunice looked at the other women, "Right?"

The females in the group nodded in agreement, while Wanda patted some of her own fur in thought.

Murray made Mavis laugh by silently mocking a 'dying' expression behind Eunice's back.

"Hey, Martha, got any mad scientists with spare Tesla coils rooming around here?" Frank asked.

"Check the front desk." the vampire replied absently, still looking slightly confusedly at her daughter.

"Cool. Hey, guys, come on, I got another idea to throw at ya. We'll talk later, Mar!" Frank beckoned a bit sneakily to Wayne, Murray, and Griffin, and the menfolk all crowded out of Mavis's room, Frank throwing a grin back at Mavis, "You're gonna have the best party ever, kiddo!"

Mavis smiled, a bit more relaxed, "Thanks, Uncle Frank."

For a moment the women stood there, Mavis still standing in front of her desk, a nervous smile still stuck to her face.

She coughed, "So, uh, yeah. It really is great to see you guys." she looked at Wanda, then down at Wanda's belly, blinking in surprise.

The werewolf nodded, "Wayne's hoping for another girl with this litter." she confided, looking proud.

Mavis smiled, "Congratulations. I look forward to playing with the pups." She shuffled on her feet, "Um, I have some writing I wanna do. I mean, ideas. For the lightning show thingy, I don't mean to run you guys out..." she looked uneasily at her mother, who gave a small, reassuring grin, "Of course, honey bat, it's alright," Martha told her, "We'll all have plenty more time to, ah, 'hang out' before the big day. We'll see you at lunch?"

Mavis nodded quickly.

Eunice gave her a hug, "Aww, you're so freaking cute you can't be turning this old already!"

"I'm not that old yet." the girl giggled.

"Enjoy it while you can." Wanda joked, "You'll be joining us after that."

They all laughed at Mavis's stunned expression.

"Okay, okay, we should let her settle down." Martha insisted, ushering her friends to the door, smiling back over her shoulder at her daughter, "See you at lunch, Mavis."

The young vampire waved, and then the door shut. Then she stood there, and waited. Three minutes.

Four.

Six.

Ten minutes...

Mavis breathed out a sigh of relief, and then turned to the window.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"I don't see what you were so <em>worried <em>about, Mar," Eunice grinned as the trio walked back down the hall, "No gushing about humans at all!"

"True..." the vampire murmured.

"She did seem calm." Wanda noted.

"Yeah, guess she's over that phase," Eunice went on as they went into the elevator, "And good thing, too. They judge us, they're suspicious, and they're really _loud!" _

"I guess it's good that you don't have to worry, Martha. After all, even if anything happens, the girl _is_ a Dracula." Wanda said more calmly, then Eunice and Wanda both blinked when they realized it was just them two in the elevator, "Uh... Martha?"

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Okay, <em>what <em>are you doi―?"

_"Sh!"_ Martha quickly silenced the doorknob hanger, pressed against her daughter's door with an ear to the wood, counting carefully.

Four minutes.

Six...

After ten minutes passed, she slipped in, and felt her heart fall at the sight of an empty room and an open window.

Yep. Mavis was a Dracula.

Feeling disappointment, hurt, and swiftly buried fear, Martha quickly moved to Mavis's desk, ruthlessly pushing aside layers of random papers and works to find the map that was hidden under it all, finding the place her daughter had circled with red ink. For a brief moment her face became a fearsome snarl, silver-eyed and slit-pupilled with the wickedest teeth.

That..._girl_...

_No_, this is fine.

This was alright.

This was going according to the plan.

Mavis had chosen the place Martha knew she would. Martha had suspected, of course, even if she had hoped it wouldn't come to this...

She quickly calmed herself, moving silently to the window, placing her palms on the windowsill, leaning out. It didn't take much looking before she saw the motions of a little bat flapping her wings through the dark night.

_Very well, my love,_ she thought to herself, an expression of business-like calculation coolly sliding across her face.

_You seek to challenge me, hm? I suppose that is your right._

Martha spread her own wings, flying swiftly after her wayward daughter, following her to the destination her daughter unknowingly played herself into.

_Just as it is my right to test you... _


	7. Chapter 7

Mavis flew through the cover of the trees, heart pounding a mile a minute, both exhilarated and kind of freaking out. Panic and excitement make funny little thrills in the bones of her wings and the back of her neck, she's quiet and quick, not able to really enjoy the beautiful night, slightly zigzagging with her flight as well as her thoughts. This is probably the _craziest_ thing that she's _ever_ done in her life, and that kind of a record is hard to top.

This was the best idea ever!

Worst. Idea. Ever.

She's about to meet humans! On her own!

She's about to meet humans... On her own...

Mom's going to find out, nah, no, Mom won't find out. Mavis will be back in, like, half an hour maybe. Tops.

She is _so_ gonna be grounded.

No, okay, okay, okay, keep it cool, keep it cool...

Okay, there's the cemetery, just like the map said.

Aaand here's the town...

She landed on one of the roofs, changing out of her bat form to look around from the edge. There were lights on in the buildings, and only a few people walking around outside. Okay. What was the plan again? She thought it over carefully as she snuck down the wall to pace in an alley. Okay, greet a few humans, prove that things between humans and monsters are really pretty okay, that humans aren't really so bad, and also later prove to her mom that she could do this kind of stuff on her own. She nods, before walking out into the street, nervous and excited.

Anyway, it's like, she's practically an adult already, right?

What could happen?

"Uh... Hello?"

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha is a mist swiftly flooding through the rooms, humans dead or alive hear her fleeting whisper in their ears.<p>

_'Places...! Places...! Places...!' _

Soft murmurs of acknowledgement arose, as well as interest.

Everyone got ready, for the girl was here.

One young man looked down in curiosity as the mist sifted past his feet, it seeming to not acknowledge him, and he looked around as everyone got up, ignoring him.

He chuckled, "What was that all about? Is there some kind of play going on? Ohh, is this one of those reenactment gigs?"

One of the remaining locals groaned, they still haven't been able to get this idiot to leave yet.

"None of your business, tourist, we told you already, the season's closed."

Someone else took the kid by his backpack and was attempting to shove him out the back door.

"Woah, cool, I get it, no backstage passes," he looks at the would-be bouncer, "Uh, dude, you're, um, kind of missing an eye there."

"Et werrsh ah bad day ah pokrr..."

"Don't _talk to him_, Greg, just get him out of here! Pay's gonna get docked if he's seen here tonight!"

'Greg' rolled his eye before doing so.

". . . Man. Tight ship, huh?" the young man asked as he was carried out into the woods.

"Thrr Boss getsh fnny 'round sturnge hmmnsh, nothin' purshnul..." Greg explained matter-of-factly, before gently tossing the strange human in question away. "Shoo."

After a few minutes of letting gravity do the work, the young man got up and brushed himself off, adjusting his backpack, not too perturbed. People had their stuff to do, obviously, that was cool. Maybe he should see if he could get a good seat though. Whatever they were doing looked like it would be pretty awesome to watch. They never mentioned _this_ thing in the brochures.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha watched from the darkness, perched on top of a lamppost, hidden above its light with her cloak fully encasing her until she blended in, too focused on her daughter and the agenda at hand to have noticed any stranger among her humans, living and zombified. She had a good vantage point, 'best seat in the house', and watched with interest and the barest hint of nervousness as her daughter approached one of the residents.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hi, human!"<p>

Mavis smiled carefully as the human froze, making sure to wave at the woman when she turned to see Mavis. Waving was okay, right? Okay, play it cool. Play it cool.

"Uhh, my name's Mavis Dracula, and, uh, nice weather we're having tonight, isn't it? Is the weather always this nice or is this particularly good weather?"

"Vampire..." the woman murmured, staring with wide eyes.

Mavis tightened her lips self-consciously, brushing her hair back, trying to keep up the smile, "Um, yeah, small world, huh? But hey, what's—?"

"You shouldn't be here."

Mavis blinked when the woman practically ran off down the street, to go into a random door.

"Your...name...?"

Huh... Curfew, maybe?

She saw another group of humans, and decided to try again.

"Hi, humans!"

Normal humans, some of their faces looked weird, some moved differently. Maybe a human illness? These ones looked more...mad than scared...

Was that an improvement?

_"Vampire..."_

One of them was holding what looked an awful lot like...

Mavis's eyes widened as she backed away.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>He stared happily from a roof at the edge of the tiny town, really wishing he had some popcorn. Total kudos for the acting here. What kind of a play was this anyway? Then he blinked, squinting at one of the actresses, was that...? His smile widened, eyes brightening.<p>

"He-ey, I _know_ that girl..."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Holy rabies, is that a gun? That's a gun. Is that a real gun? Why do you have a gun?"<p>

"Your kind aren't welcome here!"

"N-no, wait, I'm friendly, I'm, uh, homeschooled...!" Mavis protested nervously, before misting away, unnerved, maybe these guys were just tired, cranky?

The small crowd relaxed when she was gone, looking a bit sheepish. The man lowered the fake gun.

"How'd I do? I come on too strong?"

"Don't go for an Oscar any time soon. 'Your kind'? Seriously?"

Martha watched from above, and nearly facepalmed when one of the actor's heads fell off.

"Aw, cripes, Nigel's falling apart again."

"Shawrry..."

"No worries, long as she didn't see. She gone?"

"Yeah, she went to the meeting hall, guess they're up."

"Quiet, all of you," Martha chided them, continuing over their mumbled apologies, "It's not over yet..."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Mavis crouched on one of the rafters, taking a breather in the momentary lull of action. More humans were below, talking, whispering, eating <em>garlic bread<em>...?

She swallowed, mouth suddenly dry, trying not to smell it.

The humans in question were trying not to make their glancing up too obvious, as scripts were carefully passed around under the table.

"There's a vampire around?"

"I thought we were protected."

"Why aren't we doing something about it?"

"Sheesh, you know how things are, the leader is too tough. Better to be _on_ her side than against her, for now. We wait until it goes away."

"We got any explosives though?"

"Maybe, under the floor, for just in case."

"In case we gotta use The Plan, right? You know? The Plan? For when _her_ guard's down?"

"Shh."

Mavis's eyes widened slightly, before she snuck down the wall. A secret plot? M-maybe she misheard? Maybe if she introduced herself a bit more formally?

"H-hello, humans, I'm—"

"Oh, crap, it got in!"

"Get it away!"

"Get her out!"

"N-n-no, wait, I'm—!"

In her surprise Mavis started back, and accidentally knocked over a freestanding torch. Its fire spread, and a few of the humans caught on fire very, very quickly.

The place was rapidly going up in flames.

_"Ohmigosh I'm so sorry!"_

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha clawed gently at the sides of her face, eyes widening as the building was evacuated. This wasn't going according to the script at all!<p>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Oh, geez, fire, I'm really sorry, fire, that's on fire, <em>you're<em> on fire, um, c-can I help you guys, can I get you anything?"

"You can GET OUT, monster!" one of them roared, edging away from one of his on-fire comrades who didn't seem too bothered about the fact that he was on fire.

Mavis backed away from the angry-looking crowd with their torches, pitchforks, and guns, interspersed with humanoid pyres, eerily backlit by the burning building.

It was like something out of a nightmare.

The building blew up before collapsing in on itself in a violent roar of multi-colored flames and sparks. Thick colored smoke pillared into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p><em>"You had actual explosives under the floor?!"<em> Martha hissed venomously at one of her workers, unable to tear her eyes away. The woman grimaced.

"Um, actually fireworks, ma'am, Carl's idea, yeah, was meant to be a surprise, sorry. Could've had a better way of storing them, I guess, but... Are you okay, Boss?"

The poor vampiress was burying her face in her hands at this point.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Holy crap, this is epic." he muttered, on the edge of his seat, feeling the heat even from here, "She's a great actress. It's almost like they're <em>actually<em> mobbing her."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>She was being crowded in, cowering under their yells and accusations and threats.<p>

It was a vision of fire and metal, anger and fear and the talk of bombs, the air smelled like heat and smoke and burnt things.

It was really a nightmare.

"M-Mom was right..." Mavis whimpered, eyes wide.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha looked up, blinking in surprise, her ears picking up on those words that she had so longed to hear.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Mom was right." Mavis repeated, distressed, before changing into a bat and flying up into the night, leaving behind the small, angry village.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha appeared among the crowd to watch her fly away, ignoring the occasional flaming citizens, relief flooding comfortingly through her chest. "It worked..." she murmured, happily surprised, before smiling wistfully. "It...worked... Now she will be safe, forever..."<p>

She looked around, taking in the damage and grimacing. Some of them were already starting up a small fire brigade, putting out their zombified relatives and the remnants of the building, some of the zombies already attempting reconstruction.

"Thank you, all of you. Good job. And, uh, you will be compensated for the building. And next time _please _consult me before you attempt firework storage, _Carl_."

"Y-yes, ma'am, sorry."

"Go back to your beds now."

"Yes, Boss."

"G'night all."

"Fun show, everyone."

One of the humans spoke up as they left, a hesitant smile on her face, "Your daughter's a very lovely, sweet girl, Mrs. Dracula. We all wish her a happy birthday."

Martha was slightly taken aback, caught between surprise and pride, "W-well, yes, thank you. She is, isn't she?"

"Maybe later you can pretend to 'conquer' us and take her here for a proper visit!" someone in the back suggested, getting agreements from his fellow villagers.

"Um, yes, that is a good idea," the vampire mumbled, before shaking herself, clearing her throat, looking stern.

"A-anyway, right, I better go see to her. Go back to your mundane business, my humans."

They all watched as their boss flew off.

". . . Nice lady, cute kid, strange family." someone commented flatly.

"Eh, they're vampires, what do we know about 'em?"

"Hey, uh, did anyone happen to save any fireworks?"

"Shut it, Carl!" the others snapped at him.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>He finished his quiet applause, before hiking up his backpack again. That had been <em>awesome<em>. Explosions, drama, the works! It didn't matter that he literally had no idea what it was about. He watched some of the on-fire dudes shamble away into the creepy-looking forest, in the direction where she had flown, and he decided to follow. Really, who wouldn't wanna go into a creepy forest, right? Besides, it'd be so cool to see her again. Wonder if she missed him? Would she remember him? Ah, whatever, he's sure she'd be happy to see him. This is gonna be awesome!

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha moved quietly, calmly along the halls, counting the minutes to give her daughter time, before knocking gently on the door.<p>

"Mavis? It's almost time for lunch..."

She heard noises inside.

"Oh, yeah, um, I'm almost ready. Do you need something?"

Martha took that as an invitation, and came in to see her daughter half-curled on her bed. She blinked, a face of concern, "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, yeah," the girl mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her face, "Um, I, uh, I just had a nap."

Martha's smile was quick and sweet in wake of the lie, almost sarcastic, before she looked concerned again, moving to Mavis's side.

"Mavis, I'd been...thinking..." she approached carefully, watching her face.

Mavis blinked at her mother, trying a smile, looking slightly cornered, guilty, "Uh, what about?"

"Well, you'd been so _well-behaved_ this evening, and for the past while," Martha said slowly, watching the girl's guilt slightly spike. "So I'd taken it into consideration, about you wanting to go see humans, and, well, later this week, perhaps as a gift, I considered letting...well, I wondered if you might want to try visiting a human village, all on your own..."

Mavis's eyes widened, and her laugh was forced, nervous.

"Ohh, you're talking about the whole human thing, right? Uh, about that, you know what, I'm _totally _over that now."

Martha blinked, pretending surprise, "But you've always been so eager about it, my love. I'd thought you would like this."

"Ye-eah," Mavis shrugged, trying to keep casual, hands fidgeting on her lap.

"I'd been thinking too, and, uhm, maybe I'm _not _old enough yet. I mean, I'd been doing some research and when I think about it they sound so _boring_. I was thinking maybe I could just wait until...until I'm older, stronger, and...maybe when I can understand them more..."

Martha's smile was loving as she folded Mavis into a hug, and if Mavis hugged back a little harder than called for, Martha didn't comment.

"I am very _proud _of you, baby girl," she murmured softly, petting her child's hair, soothing, "Okay. We can wait until you're older. We can wait as long as you want."

". . . Thanks, Mom..."

She kissed the top of Mavis's head, before standing up, smiling reassuringly, "I'll be on my way to the dining hall."

Mavis smiled, though the corners of it wavered, "Okay, I'll be right there, just give me moment to, uh, wake up a bit."

The mother nodded, before going out the door, closing it behind her.

She stood there for a moment, then took the indulgence to slump, letting out a breath of relief.

This did not go unnoticed by the doorknob's occupant.

"Ooh, what did you do?"

"What I had to..." Martha stated.

"Mm-_hm_. Sure."

The woman turned and crouched to be at level with the head's eyes - or her eyelids, anyway. "I hope I need not remind you that her welfare is in _both_ our best interests," she said quietly, glaring, "Whether to _cover_ her back, or to _protect_ it. You knew of her sneaky intentions tonight and the past nights yet did not decide to inform me past that _attitude_ of yours. But I will choose to remember that you remained 'silent' out of your sense of obligation to her, and that I am in a good mood, and so, I will not take action against you for it. _Never_ try it with me again. Am I clear?"

"As vitreous humour, hon." the head sniffed, unabashed, "The deal with you two, though, for crying out loud!"

"She'll thank me later." Martha decided, straightening.

"Yeah, that's what the guy who shrunk my head said!"

Martha decided she _would_ take action against pure snark, and so stuffed a small towel into the shrunken head's mouth as an impromptu gag, feeling much better.

Why should a doorknob hanger judge her anyway?

Better go see how the lobby traffic is going, on the way...

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Alri-ight, next time I should totally invest in those night vision doohickeys.<p>

_Whoa man!_

Hill. Right.

_Ouch._

_Oof._

Tree.

_Ow._

Brambly stuff.

_Oww!_

Okay, backpack gettin' pretty heavy, whew, ah-ha, okay, open space, and there are the flaming dudes.

Ohh, cool, secret path stuff, awesome.

. . .

Woooah, major Harry Potter moment.

. . .

Ohh, hey, I know this place!

Looks a lot different at night.

But man, what are the odds?!

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>She obviously didn't really feel too hungry at this point, so lunch had just been a bit of small talk and trying to swallow food that she didn't feel like eating, before going back up to her room to look at the stupid maps again. Mavis's stare slowly turned into a glare, and within the next few seconds those maps were viciously crumpled balls of parchment in the waste bin, and she's sulking against her window, a feeling of general upset sitting heavy in her chest.<p>

It's just... She'd just been so sure... So...what now?

Was she really never gonna feel like leaving the hotel?

_'Vampire!'_

_'GET OUT, monster!'_

_'Better to be on her side than against her, for now...' _

She thought of a scrawny red-headed boy, and the upset turned into outright hurt.

Was...was he really gonna turn into something like _them_...?

"UUUUUuuuugh..."

Her forehead met the cool glass with a gentle _thwap. Stupid, stupid Mavis..._

Mavis looked out at the night, and spotted something moving around down in the courtyard. Her eyes widened as she picked out past the strange, swaying shape. Its shape looked funny, at first, maybe a lost guest, but then it moved into a square of torchlight beaming out from the inside, and her eyes widened.

"A human...?"

She didn't recognize him from any of the staff. Her eyes narrowed. A wild one...

Anger and panic flared up the forefront of her brains. _They'd planned something with explosives._

Next thing she knows she's nose-diving down from her window, wind snapping past her hair, aiming towards the trespasser like after a bug in her bat form.

She catches it - _him_ - by the front of his shirt, bringing him up the wall again to pin him and his backpack thing against the wall. Fifty feet up.

"A-HA! I caught ya!" she snarled, a triumphant grin on her face.

He was struggling, panicked, one minute on the ground, next minute a pretty girl snatched him up all Batman-style, "Woah, woah, woah!"

He froze, really seeing her, she really seeing him, and their eyes met, wide in a state of brief shock.

_Zing...!_

. . .

"Uh... _Woah_... Hi, there..." the human mumbled, smiling.

Mavis blinked, relaxing her grip a little, but not enough to drop him. That was _weird_. What was this? "H-hi... Uh..." then she blinked again, taking him in, _"Johnny?"_

His grin widened, happily ignoring his current position, "Hey, yeah, you remembered!"

"B-but you're all—" She looked him up and down, then shook her head quickly, trying to glare, _"No_, doesn't matter. How did you find this place?"

Johnny attempted to shrug, still smiling, "I was just mountain-climbing with some dudes," _Sorta halfway,_ he added to himself. "Ended up around here, and heard about this killer creepy village place from some of the other locals, and who wouldn't want to check that out, right? So then I saw this awesome show-thing there, cool acting by the way, and then I see some of these freaky dudes on _fire _go into the creepy forest and just followed 'em here."

Mavis froze a little, on-fire humans? Ohh, crap, they must've followed her for revenge, maybe? Maybe they got lost? Did they send him after her to get her guard down?

"How many of you are there?" she interrogated.

"Ehh, I tend to go solo, it's not so bad, easier to go, and you get to meet the most interesting people in the youth hostels," he admitted, now starting to look around, "But I have to tell ya, if this is where you live, _real _awesome digs. Are you here, like, all the time? Do you work the night shift around here?"

Mavis startled, eyes widening, "The workers, work, you don't _work_ here, ohh, crap, what have I done? I have to get you out of here!"

She looks around, through the courtyard vastly not becoming an option with all the incoming and outgoing traffic. Maybe back through the halls around the edges?

She barrels in through another window, thankfully through an unoccupied room to one of the main halls, taking him with her, ignoring his rambling.

Was he always this chatty as a kid?

"Do not distur—oh, hey, Mavis!"

She waved quickly, smile pinned painfully to her face as she hid him between her and his own backpack, trying to make it look like she was carrying it. It felt like everyone in the hotel was currently in this freaking hall, wanting to greet the daughter of Dracula.

"Mavis, early Happy Birthday to you!"

"Hello, Miss Mavis!"

"Mavis, didn't get to catch up at lunch earlier, how is your mother?"

"Thank you, yes, hi, she's good, I'm good, hey look a distraction!" Mavis squeaked out desperately while Johhny said something about it being hard to breathe.

"Quiet, _quiet!"_ she hissed over her shoulder, panicked.

She's in the lobby now, maybe if she hurried she could just toss him out with one of the outgoing hearses and—

"Hey, kiddo!" she heard Uncle Frank call.

Mavis flinched and hastily dragged Johnny into the nearest door, a closet.

"I got an idea for the electro - Mavis? Hey, where'd you go?"

"Ohh, _man_..." she panted, then glared at him again, determined to sort this out, "Alright, give it to me straight. Are you a sleeper agent? Do you have psychological training? You work alone? With this?" She attacked his backpack, rummaging through it, having to make sure he's not an immediate threat, "What _is_ this? Do you keep your guns in here? Your incendiary devices?"

"Uh..." Johnny replied uneasily, being smushed against the door.

Mavis found something odd among the junk she tossed out, holding it up, frowning, and then the _smell_ hit her.

"Augh! Chemical weaponry!" she screamed, flinging the shirt away.

Johnny winced self-consciously, taking it back and putting it back in, "Yeah, definitely due for a fluff and fold..."

Mavis was crouched against the far wall, massaging her sinuses, "Uogh, my _nose_..."

"Sorry..."

For a moment they were quiet, Johnny confused and Mavis just worn out.

"Ugh, geez," she muttered, still pinching the bridge of her nose, scrunching her eyes as she stood, "Sorry. It's been a _really_ long day, and..."

She looked at him straight, and then blinked, having to tilt her head _up_ a little to meet his eyes, and they both blinked at the height difference...

"And...y-you grew..." she mumbled.

"Well, yeah, I'd be worried if I didn't," he laughed nervously, looking her over a bit more clearly, blinking again, "Uh, you did too..."

Mavis frowned, "I what? But it's only been..."

Then she notices where he's looking, staring slightly dazedly at some place below her chin, and then they both blush and look away.

"You...your glasses are gone."

"Ah, yeah, uh, they were kinda cramping my style, I got these contact lens things, a lot easier..."

"Uhm, well, that's okay, that's alright... You look good." Mavis fidgets, suddenly aware that she's in a closet with a guy. In a closet with a _human_ guy.

A.

_Guy_.

This would've been kinda cool if she wasn't in so much trouble.

But he was really okay...?

"Y-yeah, and you look...good, too..." Johnny coughed, suddenly embarrassed by himself, confused but kind of happy, too.

Sure she hadn't changed _much_, relatively speaking, but it was...different, seeing her as a kid, and then seeing her _now_. Like, _really_ different.

"Um, thanks..." she took a breath and sighed, "Look, I'm sorry, it's awesome to see you again, but...but you need to go, strange humans aren't allowed here, and Mom would - _Mom!"_ She paled, snapping out of it, "If she sees you here, she'll know I snuck out! Ohhh, I'm so grounded, ohhh, we're so dead!"

Jonathan grinned, relaxing, "Hey, if she's _your_ mom I'm sure she's not _that_ bad."

"Shh, I need to think!" she hushed, clawing gently at the sides of her face.

He looked around in interest, "I mean, you guys being around here? This place is amazing. It's like a huge costume party around here."

Mavis's eyes widened as she smiled, "Costumes...! Yes, yes, you're a genius!"

"Uh, thanks?"

Johnny blinked as she dragged his backpack away.

"N-n-no hey, wait, I need that."

"I'll get it for you later." she waved him off, turning to face him, crossing her arms, looking him up and down, and then around at the supplies, cogs ticking in her mind.

"O-okay, but, I like my backpack." Johnny was suddenly uneasy, "Uh, why are you looking at me like that? Where'd you get that marker?"

"Trust me." Mavis told him flatly, approaching him, "Or we're both gonna pay for this... Hold still."

"We're what? Gah! Ahaha, no, no wait, that tickles! Woah! Hey, _hey!"_

She ignored his protests while she searched for spraypaint.

Stuff might be royally screwed up, but she'd step into sunlight before she'd let _him_ get screwed up, too, human or not.

This was turning out to be really, really, _really_ long day, and it's not even done yet...

She wondered if she was going to last until her birthday.


	8. Chapter 8

_A couple minutes involving a sharpie, hairspray, and makeup later..._

"Check it out, I'm a Franken-homie!"

Mavis cringed, shoving him gently at the shoulders to guide him through the busy lobby.

Maybe if she'd made him into a mummy she could've at least shut him up with bandages.

"Yes, yes, hi, nothing to see here! _Shh._" she hissed, steering him through the guests, "Geez, you were _so_ much quieter as a kid..."

Johnny chuckled unashamedly, too excited, "I know but, hey, _look_ at me!"

She grimaced, "Yeah, yeah, you look awesome, just hold your breath or something until we—"

Accidentally shove him nose-to-nose into Quasimodo.

"Bonjour."

Johnny grinned, "Hey, sniffy, how's it goin'?"

The goblin scowled, "And who are you?"

"Uh, hi, Quasi!" Mavis said hastily, hurriedly shoving Johnny behind her, which was awkward with how tall the guy was now.

"Ah, bonjour, Mademoiselle Mavis." the chef greeted.

His rat suddenly began to look agitated, starting to scurry over Mavis's shoulder before squeaking something to the goblin.

"A what?" Quasimodo chuckled, "Oh, please, Esmerelda, this is no _human_, this is Miss Mavis Dracula!"

"Uhm, yeah, just me, no strange humans, very, very normal." Mavis agreed, unnerved, before swatting the nosy rat away, "Um, what's up, 'Modo?"

"I was finishing the presentation for tonight's appetizer," He grinned, gesturing to a gargoyle waiter showing her the dish, "Deviled lizard fingers!"

Mavis blinked at the dish, wracking her brains, "Deviled—? Uh, I think Mom had asked for spleens-in-blankets..."

"She what?!" He immediately turned on the waiter, "YOU UGLY FOOL! I _told_ you she doesn't like the lizard fingers!"

"B-but you said—!"

She awkwardly left the goblin to shout at the poor waiter before realizing she'd lost Johnny, only to see him again running around screaming.

. . .

Jonathan's thoughts often ran towards the optimistic-positive until he realizes he's in over his head. Then they go to the full-out-panicked.

He'd remembered the tours through this place from when he was a kid, so basically this was kind of like that except with an awesome factor times ten-thousand or something like that, hey, even French whatever-his-name-was looked familiar. But back then, he'd remembered getting shuffled along with a lot of other kids by the guys in armor, and they saw and learned a lot of cool stuff and all, but _this_ - this was totally something else. There'd been so many questions he had back then that he couldn't ask or get answered, so much other stuff he wanted to know, so much stuff he wanted to say now. Mavis looked kind of busy, though, so Johnny thought it'd be a neat idea to mingle a little, now that he kind of looked like one of these guys. That was cool of her to do that.

Okay, so, started off with what he thought wasn't such a bad question, like, this skeleton lady. How was she just a skeleton, like, how was she keeping her bones in place, did she eat anything, could she taste anything if she ate? Does she still have insides? Next thing he knows, he got slapped by her and then punched by her husband.

Alright, maybe he had it coming, but the next thing he knows he finds these huge _things_.

H - U - G - E.

_SPIDER_.

He _never _remembered seeing _anything_ this huge, or, well, _scary_... In trying to get away he got roared, screamed, rumbled, chittered, and undead mariachi banded at. This wasn't at all like when he was a kid. Then things kind of turned a little autopilot there, aka Johnny screaming apologies and running away, in the back of his brain he'd wonder how things this huge got _into_ this place, but he was mostly focused on getting _out _of the crazy stuff.

Then things went airborne when he accidentally caught on to a witch's broom.

. . .

Mavis watched with the fascinated bewildered horror of a bystander watching a car wreck as Johnny went flying around the lobby like a rocket, idly thinking that if humans truly were dangerous, it must often be to themselves before others.

The horror sharpened and intensified abruptly when she saw that he was _going to fly right into her MOTHER! _

. . .

"You disappeared so quickly, we'd wondered if you were alright." Wanda observed with concern as Martha helped her down the stairs.

The vampiress smiled uneasily, rolling her eyes, "Just some business had suddenly come up with the, uh, the staff. You know how humans can be so...high maintenance."

They both heard the incoming screaming, both their eyes widening at the sight of the incoming _thing. _

Martha quickly got Wanda out of the way, taking the full brunt of this screaming _thing_, tumbling them forcefully off the staircase to the floor...

The lobby was relatively stilled as Martha slowly gathered herself and stood, hair slightly disheveled, holding her cloak about her, a hand to her face. She shook her head slowly, clearing away the disorientation, before carefully taking in _what _had caused this and thinking of ways how she should take care of it...

"Ohh, man, my head..." Johnny groaned, free of the broom, looking up, "Sorry, ma'am..."

Jonathan froze with an 'urk', pale under his makeup, suddenly feeling like something very, very small and squeaky under the stare of those eyes. Everything else was dark and unfocused. Hard, sharp, inhuman silver eyes fixed into him all of the certainty of being before a waiting predator, and the promise of many needle-fine _teeth_...

"M-Mom, are you okay?!" Mavis called out, getting between Johnny and the eyes, and he immediately felt less doomed.

Martha blinked, suddenly completely normal, looking at her daughter, then down at him again, straightening herself.

"I am...fine, yes..."

Johnny whimpered quietly.

"Mavis, who is that?" Martha asked more firmly, gaze narrowed at him.

The young girl started, "Who is what? Oh - oh, this?" she hastily moved more in front of Johnny, "Oh, this is, uh, nobody."

The mother sighed tiredly, "Really, honey?"

"'Honey'?" Johnny repeated uneasily, looking at her from around Mavis.

Mavis bit her lip, "Um, yeah, uh, this is my mom."

Martha bowed her head to the young man, raising an eyebrow, "I am Dracula, pleasure to meet you..."

_"Dracula?!"_ he repeated hysterically.

Mavis quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, almost as panicked as he was, "Uh, he's very sorry, give us a moment, Mom!"

Martha watched her daughter flee, frowning, but otherwise seemingly calm, before returning order to the lobby and reassuring the guests.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Mavis let the babbling wreck that was Johnny into the room, watching him scramble around it like a deranged hamster, "Please don't let her kill me! I'm still young! I've got tickets to six Dave Matthews Band concerts! How do I get outta here?!" Mavis watched him try down the cellar door, only to get roared at by its occupant.<p>

"Not that way." she sighed, "Calm down already, you're not gonna die." She looked down, "Sorry about that, Mr. Glen, go back to sleep."

She looked up wearily at the human as the fuss died down.

"S-so..." Johnny said uncertainly from the top of the bed's canopy, "She's...not gonna eat me...?"

"No." Mavis groaned, sinking to sit against the bed, putting her head on her knees, "I dunno. Someone just bury me already..." she added quietly to herself.

". . . 'Cause I'm not sure if she likes me."

"You did crash into her with a broom..."

"Oh, right. My bad."

A few moments of awkward silence ticked by, where he came closer from the bed itself.

"So...so you're a vampire, huh...?"

Mavis blinked, surprised, looking over at him, "Well, yeah, what did you think I was?"

Johnny grinned sheepishly, "Um, a Spider-lady...? I guess the whole flying thing should've given me a clue. Are _you_ gonna eat me?"

"No!" she scoffed, "I mean, _no_ - you're you. And besides that it's like," she gestured vaguely, "Mom tells me how human blood is all fatty or something like that, never know where it's been. We drink substitute stuff like Near Blood or Blood Beaters, you can't tell the difference."

"Huh. That's cool, I guess," Johnny shuffled down to sit next to her, and she blinked, blushing slightly at his closeness, "So you, uh, actually live here. Daughter of Dracula."

"Yup."

"What's it like here?"

Mavis smirked at him, then raised her hand as if to recite, speaking dramatically.

"This is a place Lady Dracula had built for all those monsters out there still lurking in the shadows, hiding from the prejudice of humankind. A place for them and their families to come to and free themselves. It is a place void of cameras, torches, pitchforks and angry, annoying mobs. A place of peace, relaxation and tranquility. So basically—"

"—a hotel for _monsters_." they finish together.

"Right." Johnny chuckled.

Mavis nodded, before sighing, "It's alright, I guess. I've been here for literally all my life," she told him, standing up and brushing off her knees, "And might as well be here for the rest of it, maybe. But not you," she stretched, looking around, avoiding his eyes, "It...it was good to see you and all, Johnny, but you can't stay here. Let's go."

"What?" the young man protested, "Aw, no, c'mon, I just got here..."

Mavis rolled her eyes. What part of 'hotel for monsters' wasn't he getting?

She tuned out some of his ranting about how cool this place was as she went to open a window, the lock was a little stuck. She was sad, but to be honest with herself, she didn't really _know_ this Johnny. Sure, he was...interesting, surprising definitely. But she remembered a cute, curious little kid who called her 'Spider-lady'; who knew how much _this_ Johnny had changed from that one, if he's grown this much. But she also remembered little kid Johnny being taken away by her mom. She wouldn't let him be taken away again, she at least owed him that.

She finally got the window open, "Okay, I don't know how far I can carry you, but..." Mavis changed into a bat, flapping front of him.

Johnny stared, smiling, "Wo-oah, you're a bat now. So, wait, you don't have any clothes on when you're a bat? Or are they bat-sized?"

Slightly weirded out, she rolled her eyes to grab him by the scruff of his clothes and fly them out into the night.

"I can drop you in the forest and then get your backpack for you later, with some directions to the nearest not-on-fire town." she told him.

"Wait, I wanna stay now. Can I at least have your phone number?

Or can I meet the Invisible Man?

Hey, if I stuck my hand inside the Invisible Man's mouth, would it disappear?"

"Hello, Mavis."

Mavis quickly screeched to a hover when a much larger bat appeared before them.

"MOM!" Mavis squeaked, thinking quickly, "Wh-wha-at are you doing? This guy was just leaving!"

"Yeah, she was flying me out the window." Johnny pointed out happily to Martha-bat.

Mavis chuckled nervously, flying back inside under the orange-red gaze of her mother, "Ah, geez, this guy is a riot, huh?" She changed back quickly, moving to Johnny hurriedly, "Oh, no, I think you have something on your face!" she then hissed to him quietly, _"Please play along if you ever want eyes to see your backpack with again."_

Johnny, slightly freaked out by her words, abruptly froze up when Martha flew into the room, returning to her normal form.

"Oh, you were a bat, too..." he mumbled.

Martha looked him over, clearly unimpressed, before turning to her daughter, "Mavis, who exactly _is_ this? I do not recall registering him."

The girl whimpered quietly to herself before quickly thinking, "Well, Mom, see, it's my birthday soon, and, you know, I kinda felt like I needed some - some company, yeah, like meeting some _new_ people for a change - y'know, like a peer-contemporary thing, developing the old social skills, and I just found this guy. Just now. He was just coming in. As my guest."

Martha raised an eyebrow, pointedly looking at Jonathan, who was probably changing colors under his makeup, "You needed...'company'..."

"I mean like someone closer to my age." Mavis stammered out quickly.

The vampiress suddenly smiled indulgently at her and Johnny, "Ah, I see. I can understand that. You're her age?" Martha asked him.

Johnny swallowed, "Uh, yeah, um - how old were you turning again?" he asked Mavis uneasily.

"118." she told him.

_"ONE-HUNDRED-AND—?!"_ Mavis's elbow quickly caught him in the gut. "NNnrgh...! . . . Yeah, uhm, I'm 121..." he finished weakly, hunched in.

Martha tilted her head, politely intrigued, "Really?"

"Mmhm..." the poor man nodded.

"Right!" Mavis quickly made to guide her mother out of the room, "See? I was bored, and he's keeping me company, normal young adult stuff!"

"Well, I _could_ use a party planner." Martha observed agreeably, gracefully avoiding her daughter's ushering.

"Wait, what?" Mavis asked flatly, slightly horrified and trying to hide it.

Johnny had begun making faces at a suit of armor in the background, currently ignored by the women.

Martha smiled at her, "Well, this is a special time in your life. I thought it could be improved with a...a helper."

The suit of armor began making his opinion of Johnny's faces clear by shoving him.

The young vampire stared, _"You_ need help?"

It turned into a flail-fight. Then outright tackling.

Now Martha seemed to hesitate, looking caught, "Well, ah, someone closer to your age - helping me with the party - might make it even _more_ special, wouldn't you agree?"

Mavis's eyes darted between her mother and Johnny, who was smiling at them from the suit's helmet, before quickly and slightly insistently guiding her mother out the door, "Uh, sure, yeah, you know what? Sounds _great_, just give me some more time to, uh, show him around the place, we'll do some hanging out, and then you two can do the whole party planning thing."

"Certainly. Don't 'hang out' too long." Martha cautioned sternly, making a point to look at the suit of armor.

"Yes, Ma'am!" the suit's helmet answered, "But I must inform you that there has been an emergency of something in the—!"

Mavis quickly shut it up by slamming it closed on Johnny's face.

"Ow!" they both yelped.

"Yeah, yeah, the broom thing in the lobby, we had that covered!" she said hastily, "Okay, we'll see you later, Mom!"

She promptly closed the door behind her mother, turning to face Johnny with wide eyes.

"There will be no party planning. Or hanging out." she announced to him grimly, marching to the wall and beginning to feel it out.

"But you said I was - woah..." Johnny blinked as she opened a hole in the wall, grinning when she beckoned to him. "Cool..."

"Follow me." she murmured, giving a small, hesitant smile at his clear interest.

"But what about the emergency?!" the helmet protested, before Johnny threw it off to follow Mavis.

". . . Boy, that kid smelled." it commented from the floor.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha stared at the door her daughter had technically shut in her face, before turning to look around the empty hallway.<p>

Her eyes were glowing in a blank expression, revealing no emotion.

"Isn't this..._interesting_..."

She swiftly walked towards the next nearest suit of armor, speaking to it in undertone.

"Have eyes on them wherever you can," she ordered quietly. "And tell me the exact details of this 'emergency'..."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> _Short, yes, but there will be more! Thank you muchly for reading._


	9. Chapter 9

"So, this 'emergency' you report, you say that Esmerelda had smelled a...human..." Martha repeated slowly.

"Oui, yes!"

"In the lobby." she continued tiredly.

"Yes!" Quasimodo agreed, caught between submission and impatience, he's practically on his knees on her carpet, the very image of a 'humble servant'. Martha's not buying too much into it. At least, for being a chef, the goblin is relatively clean. "And I am simply wondering - when we _catch _this human - how you would like me to prepare it."

The vampire tapped her fingers together in front of her mouth.

"Quasimodo." she asked the chef carefully, "Do I need to remind you what part of our staff _consists_ of?"

"Aha, yes, but this one is a _strange _one, a _wild _one,_ an intruder!"_ he insisted eagerly, "Such an _insult_ upon this place, I beg for the honor to let _me_ dispose of it!"

Martha smiled tightly, eyeing the rat perched on his shoulder with hidden distaste. It was a mean, nosy little creature, even nastier than the goblin. "Mr. Wilson, first, let me assure you that I have no doubts in Esmerelda's credibility, but I am _certain _that there is no strange human within my hotel. I am sure that one of the newer cleaning staff simply didn't cover their own scent well enough, and that was what she picked up on. I will personally look into the matter."

Quasimodo's face fell a little, "B-but - Madame, if there _is_ one—"

"Then _I_ will take care of it." she cut in smoothly. _"If_ there is a strange human, my position requires that _I_ must take responsibility for any lapses in security." She bore him down with the sternness of her gaze, "We're under too many eyes as it is - from both monsters _and_ humans - to bring any _more_ attention. Am I understood?"

The hunchback glared sourly at the carpet, the rat mimicking his posture, before he blinked, bowing a little.

"Oui, Madame Dracula."

"Good. You may go."

The vampire waited until he had scuttled out of her office, before slumping, pinching the bridge of her nose, sighing, "Mavis, Mavis, Mavis..."

The girl still wouldn't learn, it seemed.

Her nails began drumming against the desktop.

_Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. _

She knew this couldn't be handled easily. Doubtless the chef's 'artistic vision' would quickly get the better of him, regardless of her orders.

Though generally reliable in the kitchen, the poor wretch never seemed to get his head into modern times.

She'd have to alert her _own_ humans, now, to not look suspicious or be alone with him for a while.

_Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. _

So, now she had to watch out for _him_, as well. Wonderful.

"I have a chef to restrain, a party to plan, a daughter to watch, and a scheme to maintain..." she muttered under her breath. "I'm swamped." Just _wonderful_.

_Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-**CRACK.** _

She looked down in surprise at the sound, to see her nails had unconsciously lengthened into vicious talons, gouging the woodwork.

The vampire huffed to herself, dislodging her nails to view the marks, a little upset. She _liked_ this desk. And that manicure.

Her hand flexed, claws glinting... But - _no,_ she was not stressed.

Her fingers slowly return to normal as she stands, brushing herself down self-consciously.

She _was_ _not_ stressed.

Martha just needed a - a breather. Maybe...maybe see how the musician zombies were coming along with their practice, yes...

Ye-es, she would do that, and _then_ - then she would see about her 'party planner'...

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"Awesome secret passage stuff." Johnny observed, excited.<p>

"Yeah," Mavis grabbed a torch, frowning into the darkness, "Mom thinks I don't use all of these tunnels. This is to get you out so she won't see us. Uhh..."

She hesitated when they reached a circular room, tunnels branching in all directions.

"Um, this way..." she announced randomly, trying to look as if she knew what she was doing.

. . .

_Some time later..._

_. . ._

"Are we lost?"

She scowled, "Hey, look, I'm not down here much, alright? This is for like if the humans revolt or something like that."

"Oh, so I'm like the first human here, huh?"

She blinked. ". . . Huh. Yeah."

Mavis bit her lip to herself as they went, wondering how bad it would turn out if he _was_ like the others...

Turns out the guy is a little clumsy. She had to save him from an abrupt ending of stairs. Maybe the clumsiness was an act?

Why did those stairs just abruptly end, anyway? What was up with that?

. . .

_Some more time later..._

_. . ._

"So, can I ask a question?"

"Um, sure." she mumbled. Maybe this way...?

"Is that real? About the garlic thing?"

"The what? Oh. Yeah, family food allergy," she gestured absently to her neck, "Can't have it, or my throat swells."

"Huh. Wooden stake to the heart?"

That made her roll her eyes, "Who _wouldn't_ that kill?" She then glared at him, now suspicious, "Why are you asking...?"

Johnny coughed self-consciously, "Oh, uh, no reason. Sorry, just wondering." He grinned at her when they ducked into a low tunnel, flattening his hair down.

And _this_ - they had to walk practically bent over, who the heck designed these tunnels, Mom?!

"Seriously though, this place is amazing!"

Mavis looked around, ready to doubt it; being here as long as she has, this place wasn't really all it was cracked up to be but...

She couldn't help a smile. He did seem to genuinely like this place.

"Heh, really...?"

. . .

_Some more time and a wrong opening later..._

_. . ._

The lady skeleton screamed when her shower wall opened up, "AHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry!" Mavis scrambled to apologize, working the lever quickly.

"WHAT IS _WRONG_ WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" the husband skeleton shouted, and Johnny got a loofah to the face before the wall finally closed.

. . .

". . . Sorry." Mavis repeated quietly to him, blushing.

"It's cool." the human laughed, wiping the suds off his face, fortunately the makeup holds, and Mavis finds out his laughter is a little contagious.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha was slightly surprised to see Eunice leaning against the wall, and they both watched the riot going on the stage between monsterfolk and zombie. It was very one-sided. Martha grumbled internally, but Eunice seemed to catch up on it, shrugging her shoulders under her fluffy purple sweater.<p>

"Eunice, this - what is this?" Martha asked tiredly, indicating the struggle.

"It's an _embarrassment_," her friend snorted, "And _really_ annoying, but I'm not talkin' to 'em. I get too close to that and I'll get my mani chipped or somethin'." She showed her fine claws for nails. "I can't do anything, afraid you'll have to get 'em to cut that out." the woman stated flatly, arms crossed, "Sorry, hon."

"Yes, yes, I got it." Martha sighed aloud, gathering herself once more, gaining a sympathetic nod from the other woman.

Frankenstein waved when she came up, absently choking a zombie with his other hand, "Martha!"

She nodded at him, smiling faintly as she looked around. Wayne and his brood were treating one like a chew toy, while Murray seemed to be using one as a pogostick.

"Yes, hello, Frankie."

The giant flesh golem grinned, "Hey, lady, what you doing around here?"

"I _was_ checking on the musicians." She pointedly looked at the one he was strangling. "What are _you_ doing?"

Wayne spat out his victim to the vicious joy of his children, "We wanted to practice our big number for Mavis's party, but then _these_ losers wouldn't get off the bandstand."

She scowled, "Alright. Put down Zombie Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven. Right now."

She crossed her arms, waiting as the monster men roughly gave up their 'rivals'.

She looked down at the zombified trio as they got themselves back together, "Did you get to rehearse at all, Zombie Beethoven?"

Zombie Beethoven shook his head dully, "Eh eh eh ehhh..."

She glared at the men, a little put out at them. She also had slight misgivings if this was really _just_ competition for the stage, or a way of venting stress towards the zombies' _living_ counterparts. Regardless, she'd personally been proud of collecting these musicians, and here they were being treated like rag dolls. She was grateful that at least none of the living human staff were active at this hour, seeing this kind of casual 'abuse' might make them...uncomfortable.

Wayne chuckled apologetically, "Sorry. Listen, Mar, we just wanted to play something, like old times. We even thought maybe you'd dance along with us."

Martha blinked, a little touched, but shook her head, waving it off, "Come on, boys. You know that I haven't danced in public since Vlad..."

Frankenstein grinned, "Yeah, but we just thought how much, you know, Mavis would love it."

Martha glared, "I said no." Her roaring hiss was vicious, her eyes a violent orange, startling on her face. _"Don't ask me again."_

She quickly composed herself, brushing back her hair.

"Okay. Now, let's hug the zombies, hm?" she told the frozen gentlemen sweetly, "Let's all make up."

Martha's ears suddenly pricked a little, and she frowned. Something sounded strange. The wall...?

Wayne snickered at Frank after the vampire swept past them, "Wow. She really scared you, huh?"

The golem coughed as his wife came up to his side, "I-I wasn't scared. I was being polite, okay?"

Eunice patted her husband's shoulder with a knowing, self-satisfied smirk.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Mavis was actually starting to get a little nervous, as she kept desperately feeling along the wall - <em>I'm sure there's one here somewhere...<em>

It was bad enough that she had been alone with a guy in a closet, and then in a hotel room. Now she was alone with one in a secret tunnel, like in those stories she'd read about, though funnily enough this kind of scenario could be found in both the horror _and_ the romance sections. And _he_ didn't seem nervous at all! He'd stopped talking or asking questions a little while back, but now... It was just - he just kept _smiling_ at her. Sure, it was cute enough on him when he was a kid. But now she just kept feeling like the skin on her face was heating up every time she saw that stupid, _maybe_ still kind of cute smile. She hoped the torchlight didn't show the redness. She wondered how good a human's night vision was. _Why_ had she thought this would be a good idea?

"So, what all have you been doing?" he asked suddenly, surprising her.

"I-I'm sorry?" she mumbled, glancing at him as they walked.

"I mean, y'know, I never really found out what you like to do." Johnny shrugged, "So-o what do you do?"

"Um," Mavis searched her brains quickly, still taken aback by his genuine interest. "Uh, nothing cool, really, um, I..."

_I'm a closet equality activist - which is an accomplishment considering how _restricted_ my Internet access is._

_I like to write. I wrote letters to 'little' you that I stopped sending after I found out that Mom filtered the mail._

_Doesn't mean I stopped writing them._

_I want to ask you if you ever wrote to me - but that just feels awkward__ now__,__ since you're not little anymore._

_I want to know, if humans still _write_ letters? Or if everything is done on computer things now?_

_I sketch, sometimes. Sometimes I design clothes._

_I always thought I wanted to try traveling. Not too sure about that right now._

_I collect human music. I like to sing, too._

_I sneak human boys around the 'monsters only' hotel behind my mom's back..._

In the end, all that came out was a mumbling "Flying. I, um, I like to fly."

Her face burned with embarrassment - of _all_ the cooler things she could've talked about - but the guy still looked interested.

"Yeah, that was pretty awesome," he admitted happily, "Wish I could do that. Well, I mean, without needing a plane. What's it like?"

Mavis blinked at him, a little at a loss. How do you tell a fish what running feels like?

"It's..." her eyes darted anxiously to the wall, and she spotted a lever, "Hold that thought!"

She grinned in relief, pulling it.

"I think this is it."

_Yes, yes, yes, please yes...!_

Her eyes widened when she saw this was definitely not the outside, but instead the stage hall.

Frankenstein spotted her and waved, seeing her despite her desperate attempts to _shut_ the _freaking_ _WALL!_

"Mavis!"

_No. No no no no no crap no...!_

She quickly shoved Johnny out of sight, tossing aside the torch, grinning weakly, "H-hey, Uncle Frank..."

He smiled back, beckoning to her while 'hugging' one of the zombie musicians, "Hey, kiddo, tried catching up with you earlier."

She subtly looked aside to Jonathan, hissing _"Don't move."_ before replying out loud, leaving him, "Yeah, heh, sorry about that. Um, what's up?"

"I just had some more ideas to run by ya 'bout that Tesla coil thing..."

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Jonathan waited uncertainly at the edge of the opening, watching Mavis go out to meet this <em>giant<em> dude who looked like he met the wrong end of a crazy sewing machine. Johnny felt a little awkward. She was just as cool now as she was back then, even prettier if that was possible, but he remembered her talking a lot more when he was younger, her smile was a bit easier. Now it looked a little edgy on her face.

At least it didn't seem like he was the only one who was nervous. Still, he felt a bit bad that she couldn't relax as much, sure, maybe he'd grown a bit, but was it that bad? He had a lot more to talk to her about now. What was something he could do to break the ice a little...?

Something flashed out of the corner of his eye.

"Good evening..."

Johnny yelped, spinning quickly to see Dracula - Dracula who was apparently Mavis's mom.

_"Good—!_ I mean, eve - good, er, hi - Ms. Dracula, ma'am..." he stammered out, feeling himself start to sweat under his makeup.

Dracula also had the glowy-in-the-dark eye thing going on, but what was kind of creepy-cool on Mavis was downright spooky on this lady.

She smiled flatly down at him, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Yes... Forgive me, but I don't believe I caught your name...?" she asked, circling him slightly.

He shifted uneasily, patting himself, "Um, my name, uh, right, Johnny, um," he felt his own hair, remembering, "Well, I mean, obviously I'm Frankenstein."

"No, you are not."

The young man froze for a second before the vampire gestured beyond, still smiling at him.

"That gentleman over there - the one 'hugging' the zombie? _He's_ Frankenstein."

She looked down at him evenly, patiently waiting for him to rally.

"Well, I mean - I'm not _the _Frankenstein," Johnny stammered, backing off under her scrutiny, "I'm just, I mean, I'm just, I'm, uh—"

He accidentally backs into Mavis, and then he's noticed by said Frankenstein.

The flesh golem finally lets go of the zombie from his 'hug', stomping up to squint at the obvious stranger from around Mavis.

Basically, to the 'uncle', he sees this kid who looks around Mavis's age, but was someone who the Stein didn't know. A potential 'problem'.

"Hey, Mavis, who's your, uh, who's your little buddy there?" he asked, somehow managing to sound threatening even while smiling.

Johnny shrunk uneasily behind Mavis, lady Dracula on one side, big, scary Franken-dude on the other, anxiously muttering to her, "Are these monsters gonna kill me?"

"Not as long as they think you're a monster..." Mavis whispered.

Johnny frowned a little, "That's kind of racist..." he whispered back uneasily.

She grimaced, "We'll talk later."

Jonathan took a fortifying breath, and started doing his 'best' Frankenstein impression, to Mavis's horror, Martha's bemusement, and Frank's obvious disgruntlement.

Frankenstein pointed at him in disbelief, "Is - is he making fun of me?"

Mavis raised her hands quickly, "No, no, no, of course not, because he's..." she yanked him to a standstill beside her, not noticing his blush, "He's, um..."

Martha smiled a slow, indulgent grin from behind them, "He is your _cousin_, Frank, ah, 'Johnny-stein'..."

Her daughter nodded desperately, "Yes, yes, yes, that!"

He frowned down at them skeptically, "I don't have no cousin."

Mavis quickly snapped up the lifeline her mother had thrown her, "No, no, you do. He's your sixth cousin; three times removed."

Jonathan played along hurriedly, "On your right arm's side." He held up his own arm to emphasize.

Frankenstein looked at his own right arm, surprised, "You have a cousin?"

Martha watched the exchange with a quiet grin.

Mavis nodded encouragingly, "Uncle Frank, if your arm could talk, it would tell you that the original owner of your arm had, uh, a brother..."

Jonathan added " - wh-who married a woman - "

" - who was - _bleah!"_ Mavis pretended to cut her throat.

" - for strangling a pig!" Johnny finished.

Frankenstein's eyes widened, "I have pig-strangling blood in my arm?! . . . That's kinda cool." he admitted, before grinning down at Johnny, "Well, Cuz, great to meet you." He takes Johnny's hand to shake it, casually bashing the young man repeatedly against the floor.

"Don't mind him, sorry 'bout the confusion," Eunice reassured the stunned young 'Stein', "There's probably a lotta relatives we don't end up talkin' to."

"Um...thanks...?" Johnny mumbled.

Mavis couldn't help a shocked giggle, whether it was because the lie actually worked, or that Johnny was kind of funny like this, she didn't know.

"So, what brings you here, Johnny?" a voice asked out of the air.

The disguised human yelped, eyes darting, _"Woah_ wh-who's that?!"

Griffin laughed, coming around, glasses now showing more clearly, "Oh, sorry. I should really clear my throat when I speak. Anyway, what brings you here?"

Mavis grimaced, feeling things were getting out of control, as Johnny was practically surrounded now by everyone.

"Oh, uh..." Johnny quickly glanced from Mavis to her mother, overwhelmed, before he took an uncertain breath, "Party...planner...?"

Martha blinked, remembering, and quickly intervened, "Ah, y-yes, I've recruited Mr. uh...Stein here to help me with Mavis's birthday party."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Murray pointed at the vampire incredulously, _"You_ asked someone to help _you?"_

Wayne smirked, "Captain Control Freak?"

"It's 'Countess'." Martha deadpanned, "And...yes, I thought having a Mavis contemporary would be...useful."

Jonathan grinned, relief from something solid letting him regain confidence, "Yeah, she totally needed some fresher perspective."

Mavis winced when he promptly cowered under the older vampire's glare.

"Speaking of _'fresh'_..." Martha stated in warning.

"I like this kid already." Griffin chuckled.

The werewolf cleared his throat, "Ok, look, Johnny, Ms. Tight Coffin over here was planning to have _these_ powdered lame-oz play at the party later this week."

Martha turned her glare on him as the zombies sighed, Johnny looking at them curiously.

"Is that _Beethoven_...?" he mumbled, "Thought that was just a myth..."

Then Martha's eyes widened at Frankenstein when he spoke up, "So, anyways, _we_ thought we could liven things up a bit."

Mavis was freaking out a little. She was supposed to be getting him _out of here...!_

Jonathan lit up, forgetting the zombies and Mavis's attempts to shush him, "Whoa, wait, you all play? Let's check you guys out!"

"I really don't think that that's necess—!" Martha was ready to intervene, but too late. They were set up in record time.

Frank and Murray on the guitars, Wayne on the piano, and Griffin on the drums.

Martha gently palms her face as Frankenstein and Murray begin singing. Eunice had completely removed her ears.

Johnny and Mavis listen with slightly stunned expressions.

It was slow and honestly kind of sleep-inducing.

What Frankenstein probably lacked in vocal talent he made up for in...enthusiasm if that's what it was called.

_"Girl... I can't believe it's your big night..."_

Murray went on, _"Seems like only yesterday you were eating mosquitos,"_

Griffin and Wayne added with him, _"But now you're eating frogs and mice,"_

Mavis loved the guys, and appreciated this, really.

But a small part of her bitterly thought that everyone was ancient enough around here that they might actually _die_ of boredom.

It lead to Frankenstein again, _"Scarfing them down like Doritos,"_

As they all continued, _"Tell me where did the time go, girl..."_

Johnny spoke up, waving his arms for them to cut, surprising everyone, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on, guys, stop. That's cute, but, well, kind of old school..."

The lady Dracula sighed in relief, both for her ears and for her sanity, "Yes, _thank_ you."

He continued with a grin, hopping up onto the stage, he had an idea, "You got to totally tempo things up. Here, let me show you."

Take a raincheck on that sanity.

Martha and Mavis looked at each other with equal expressions of confusion and slight distress, before the young man continued.

"Werewolf man, give me a jam!"

Wayne uncertainly pressed out a chord on the piano.

Johnny grinned, raising a fist, counting it off.

_"Two, three, four!_

And then Johnny _played, _kickstarting the band immediately.

_"Vampire girl with the fangy fangs!_

_Hair real cute with the bangy bangs!"_

Mavis blinked, surprised, brushing back her hair when he grinned at her.

She was going to blame this heat in her face on the rapidly growing crowd.

Johnny's smile widened at her dazed look.

Ice broken, maybe?

_"Little princess gonna be a queen!_

_Legal bat lady turnin' 118! 118! Say '118'!"_

"118!" the audience cheered.

Johnny whooped, caught up in the moment, _"Yeah!_ Stage dive!"

Unfortunately for him, apparently monsterkind weren't aware of the tradition.

WHAM!

In the intrigued silence he lifted himself up with a dazed smile, "Awesome..." he rolls over to look up at Mavis from the floor, "So, did ya like it..?"

Mavis stared down at him, sort of blown away at the moment.

Before she could answer, he was caught up by a cheerful Frankenstein, "I think my _Cuz_ is gonna make this the best. _Party_. _Ever!"_

The audience immediately crowded in, shouting suggestions and applause, overwhelming the two vampires and human.

_"ENOUGH."_

Dracula commanded their attention as she hovered over them, almost looking out of breath.

"That was..._interesting_, yes, well done to Johnny. But we all have our matters to attend to." she glared at Johnny, "Right, Mr. _Party Planner?"_

Mavis was frozen, and tried to intervene, "Um, a-are you sure he has to—?" a warning glance cut her off to a quiet "Yes, Mom."

Martha then smiled, which was more disturbing.

"Johnny-stein, I believe there is work for you to do..."

Jonathan swallowed, exchanging a panicked glance with the daughter of Dracula, "I-I don't know. Is it cool with Mavis?"

Again, before Mavis could answer, the crowd had already moved everyone along and out of any chance of immediate escape, Martha overseeing them all.

_'One freaking week until my birthday,'_ Mavis groaned to herself, trying to find him again, _'If Mom doesn't kill me, the pressure sure will...' _

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"I am thankful you volunteered for this. We have a lot to do." Dracula told Johnny cheerfully, as he trailed uneasily behind. "You're a surprise, really." she went on, "I wasn't aware she had a friend like you." She smiled at him from over her shoulder, "Have you been to the hotel often?"<p>

Johnny froze up a little, his brains working overtime, "Um, I was here a couple times, maybe," he mumbled, "Just passing through."

"Oh, I understand," Martha nodded, suddenly stopping to make them both move aside for people moving the opposite way down the hall, "Sometimes life just goes by too _quickly _to be able to stay for long." she continued idly, "What have you thought of this place so far?"

"Oh, it's pretty amazing," Johnny admitted readily, still really uneasy of her hand on his shoulder, "It's..." he trailed off when he noticed what was passing by, "Um..."

A small group of zombified serving staff shuffled past, some looking fresher than others, and one or two living humans went with them.

Johnny pointed, at a loss, "Muh...?"

Martha swiftly guided him along, "Don't worry, new staff, and sometimes the living ones tag along for work experience outside of direct employment. The dead are patient to teach the living, and it's nice to see some _familial_ bonding, even _past_ the grave, if you'll pardon my phrasing." She smiled down at him. The makeup hides his paleness. "I know it's an unusual policy, but don't worry. The humans here are completely safe, and won't hurt you. And you can disregard any rumors about any 'wild' humans."

"Tha's cool..." Johnny mumbled weakly. Then he blinked, "Uh, w-what rumors?"

Martha's smile was genuine, a smirk as she looked down at him, "That their human laws would actually protect them."

Jonathan didn't need the makeup to look blue at this point.

_Mavis's mom is totally going to kill me... _


	10. Chapter 10

"I think I can trust you with some _simple_ enough tasks."

Johnny stared in polite incomprehension at the large dining hall before them. A cardboard box full of fat, fall-colored rolls of streamers was roughly placed next to him. Martha looked on at him expectantly, a bright smile on her face.

"Um, I thought Mavis's party wasn't until, like, later this week?"

"Oh, it is." the vampire agreed, "This isn't for her. The Autumn Equinox is around this time, and some of the guests still celebrate it for tradition's sake. They've rented out this space for the occasion, and it just occurred to me, since I have such a _helpful_ volunteer on my hands," she clasped him on the shoulder, giving him a 'friendly' little squeeze and shake that made the human try to stifle a pained whimper, feeling like his shoulder was going to dislocate, "I thought you could do with the practice..."

"That's cool, haha, practice, yeah, all for it." he replied in a strangled voice, giving a pained grimace of a smile, nervously trying to shuffle his way out of her grip.

"Wonderful!" She released him with a light shove to clap her hands together, "I'll leave you to it then, Mr. Planner. Just hang those streamers along the walls and across the ceiling there, there, there, and there, in that pattern, and be sure to clean the floor spotless. If you have trouble with the streamers, the ladder is in that supply closet over there at the end, as well as mops, buckets, soap, and the closet sink. I'll be sure to send someone to check on your progress in a few hours. Have fun."

She swept out, swiftly closing the doors behind her. Jonathan rubbed his shoulder as he stared, then inhaled and slumped in dismay at the closet that was all the way at the other end of the hall, and all the floor it held. This was a really huge room. He jumped with a yelp when the door sharply creaked open again, and Martha leaned inside again, smiling, "One last thing: if I were you I would start with doing the streamers first before you tackle the mopping. It'd be a shame if the ladder were to _slip_ on some carelessly left puddle, causing you to fall and break your neck. I've heard that young flesh golem heads can be _very_ _tricky_ to reattach." She winked at him, before shutting the door again.

Johnny watched it uneasily until he felt she was gone for real, before turning to face the hall again. Grumbling, he grudgingly stomped his way over to the closet, steps echoing loudly until he reached it. "Some 'fun'. Ooh, Mr. Planner, watch out for killer ladders, bleah, bleah, bleah, ooh, Mr. Planner, watch out for breaking necks, bleah, bleah, bleah. Geez," he rolled his shoulders with a grimace, still feeling the strength of her grip and the scary fake feeling of her smile, "What's _that_ lady's deal?" He opened the closet and immediately screamed as a tangling of cleaning supplies fell on him with a _crash!_

". . . Oww..."

He eventually struggled through the mess to get at the ladder that was all the way at the back of the closet, causing noise all the time to echo awkwardly through the room as he dragged it out. "Gah, freakin'—! Give me one dang - hah!" The ladder retrieved, he managed to stuff the whole mess back into the closet, struggling to shut the door, before dragging the rickety wooden ladder back towards a corner of the room, making an ear-splitting scraping across the probably pretty fancy and expensive floor paneling. It was another awkward moment getting the thing set up, and another figuring out how to untangle the red, gold, brown, and orange-colored streamers. "Some freaking 'fun'." he muttered again. A while later he was trying to tack some of them somewhere to the ceiling. It was quiet in the room and already really, really boring. "For a lady who can walk on walls she might wanna try hanging her _own_ freaking stream—"

_"What are you doing?"_

"MAAAAGH!" the poor human screamed again, flailing and falling off the ladder, landing uncomfortably in the box of streamers he'd left at the foot of the ladder.

_Thwump!_

Mavis winced, "Sorry."

"No, hey, Mavis, hi, no problem." he squawked, struggling to get out of the box's trap of streamers as she came down from the ceiling. She yanked him up and out by the front of his shirt, sending the decorations flying, and was already dragging him back across the room towards the doors. "Woah, woah, what's—?"

"What are you still doing here? You were supposed to be getting _out."_ she hissed.

He tugged himself free from her grip, nervous, "No, I know, I-I was, I mean, I was gonna, but your mom was - streamers, I was trying with the streamers and—"

She snatched his hand and tried to move on again.

"Forget about the streamers, I can find some zombies to do it, but Mom's breathing down my neck and I just can't leave you alone if somebody suddenly—"

"Yo, Party Planner!"

The doors burst open again before they could reach them, and Murray strode in with a grin on his face, looking around until he spotted them frozen in the middle of the floor, his eyes brightening up. "Hey, hey, there's my guy!" Then he suddenly noticed them holding hands, and the grin turned a little sly, "Ooh. I'm not, uh, interrupting a little something here, am I?"

"What?" Mavis blinked, then they both looked at where they'd joined hands. Johnny grinned like a goof before she quickly let go of his hand, taking a step away, making him blink, "No! Oh, no, no, you weren't - we weren't - he was just - we were just gonna—"

"Great!"

The mummy quickly slid between them, slinging his arms over their shoulders, smirking at Johnny, "Seein' as Casanova here seems to already be hitting it off, maybe you could give a brother a few tips on picking up some chicks, huh?"

"I-I, um, Murray, right?" Johnny swallowed, seeing Mavis's stare/glare at him from around Murray, "Look, sorry, man, I, uh," he looked around the big empty room, before ducking out from under the monster's arm, "That'd be cool, really, but I already got some 'chores' that...that Ms. Dracula's got me doin'..."

"Psh, she's got you on _this?_ Dude, you were here to plan a party," the mummy protested, taking in the room, "And this don't look like a party to me, I mean, c'mon."

"I know, right?" Johnny chuckled nervously, seeing Mavis's silent, frantic gestures towards the door, and the young vampire girl was confused and slightly frustrated when he held up a finger in a silent 'wait' gesture. He was looking back towards the mess of a closet. "But you know," Johnny went on to the both of them, letting the door open and all the supplies spill out, "She did tell me to have fun. I think I gotta way to kick things up a notch and get this over with..." He grinned at Mavis, "You in?"

"Well, whatcha got?" Murray asked. Mavis stared, still confused and looking a little exasperated. Johnny's grin widened as he held up a mop.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Martha had only the faintest frown showing on her face as she walked her way back along the halls. Of course as soon as she'd left the boy in there she'd tried to keep an eye on her daughter, to distract Mavis from this unusual 'guest', and yet the child still manages to slip away. If she found Mavis with <em>him<em>, well...

"Johnny?" she called as she approached the doors to the hall, "Johnny-Stein, is it going well?" Maybe if he'd 'accidentally' hung himself with the streamers...

The doors burst out before she could touch them, and a veritable wave of soapy water flooded out from the room, momentarily blinding her. With a startled shriek she levitated, spluttering as the outburst ran and petered out into the hallway behind her. Pulling wet strands of her hair out from her face, her wide livid gray eyes finally managed to focus on the scene in the hall.

The first thing she noticed was Murray, skating past her across the soapy wet floor with sponges on his feet, nearly laughing his head off as he went, streamers trailing behind him and practically woven into his wrappings. Then - her eyes widened even more - were those the _Equinox guests?! _They were. They were early. No, couldn't be, they were never early, they were always on time. But here they were. Being caught up in whatever this madness was, the streamers were being used for jump ropes, rope swings, limbo, and was that monster over there bungee-jumping from the _18th century Florentine chandelier?!_

Mops being used as stilts. Bubbles floating everywhere. A trampoline made of streamers.

No.

No.

No.

NO.

. . .

Mavis was running laps around the ceiling, giggling as she looped streamers around the room again and again, Johnny trying to keep up under her by skating on those sponges, and the thought of it made her laugh out loud as he nearly skated into one of the guests. Skating. On sponges. Seriously, who _thinks _of that? She thought they'd been in trouble when the guests suddenly showed up - apparently Murray had gotten word out. It surprised her when these old traditional monsters had taken one look at the mess and just joined right in. She'd been reluctant at first, but this...this was actually kind of fun.

She was twirling the streamers down around Johnny, trying to trip him up and wrapping him up like a mummy in the effort, when she noticed the doors were open again, and looked over to see who else was going to join in. Then she noticed her mother, hovering there and dripping wet. Even when Mavis was upside-down and a room away she couldn't mistake the creepy calm stare her mom was giving the room, the one that made her skin clammy and her stomach drop all the way to the floor below, bringing the plan of 'Get The Human Out' all that more urgent.

Mavis suddenly knew she'd been spotted.

"Oh, rabies."

. . .

Martha's eyes narrowed as she saw Mavis on the ceiling, the girl's blue eyes widened before she quickly dropped down into the crowd, out of sight. Mouth pressed into a thin line, Martha was prepared to go in and fetch her daughter before one of the guests came up to her, waving its tentacles excitedly.

"Madam Dracula, ooh, so glad to see you! I just wanted to say, the entertainment this year is out_standing!"_

Martha automatically smiled, eyes darting about in confusion, "Ah, thank you, yes, we're always happy to provide."

The guest continued on with an excited _"Wheeeeee!"_

She tried to continue on, and barely made it a yard before being interrupted again, this time she stiffened in surprise. This one was an esteemed guest who'd been attending the Equinox celebrations for _decades._ "Ah, Martha, good to see you participating, too," he croaked pleasantly, "The change of pace this year is quite refreshing, and between you and me," he nudged the damp vampire gently with one of his many elbows, "I haven't had this much fun since that time when old Basil spiked the punch bowl. You've found quite the helper this year, milady."

"I - he - w-we're very happy to hear you say that, sir." she mumbled, stunned.

The elderly salamander bobbed his head happily, before sliding off, using a streamer to trail a bunch of younger monsters after him across the wet floor.

Martha watched on in faint shock. This wasn't going according to any sort of plan at all.

Murray was skating around another time, before he was suddenly grabbed by the front of his bandages to be brought face to face with the dripping Lady Dracula.

"Hey, Mar!" he chuckled at her deadpan stare, "Get a little wet?"

"What did you do?" she asked flatly.

"Oh, this wasn't me, girl," he protested, still grinning, jabbing a thumb behind him, "That Johnny-Stein guy you got there, I kid you not, on a scale of 1 to 10 he brought stuff up to an _11_. What were you thinking, keepin' a dude like that under a rock?"

"I know." she sighed quietly, releasing her friend to go in the direction he'd pointed. "Evidently I'll have to find a heavier rock next time..."

. . .

Mavis was trying to backpack a streamer-trussed Johnny around the bustling room to get to the doors, she'd done what she could on such short notice, but there was no hiding that shock of red hair sticking up from the mummy-like bundle.

"Kinda hard to breathe in here..." her burden muffled out.

"Just hold it then."

"I can't just hold it!"

"Well play dead or something!"

"I don't think I'll be playing in a min—_urk._"

Mavis's sudden halt tightened the streamers on him, as her mother was suddenly standing in front of her, arms folded, gently dripping on the floor.

"H-hey, Mom." Mavis squeaked, while Johnny asked what was going on.

"Mavis," she replied calmly, before pointing at Mavis's 'stowaway', "Drop."

The girl swallowed, stepping back awkwardly, "But this's - I-I wasn't—"

"Drop it."

With a pout, Mavis finally obeyed, making Johnny flail in surprise as he was dumped to the damp floor, "Ow! Okay, can't see, what's—?" He was finally free enough to see who they were facing, and went pale under his makeup, "Oh, hi..."

Dracula smiled down at him, which didn't make Johnny or Mavis feel any better, "Clearly this wasn't a simple enough task. Let's try something else. Come along."

Johnny stumbled awkwardly to his feet, kicking free of the streamers, looking nervously at Mavis. She stared back in alarm, before she tried to intervene, "M-Mom, please, it's okay, we were only trying to have a little fun and—"

"Why don't _you_ try and play the hostess for now, Mavis?" Lady Dracula overrode her smoothly, giving her a pointed look over her smile, "Seeing as the _celebrations_ started earlier than expected, and entirely without planning, I'm afraid this is out of my hands. You wanted the experience, right?"

"I-I didn't mean—"

"Mavis?"

The girl looked around nervously, aware of the attention they were close to drawing from the crowd.

Mavis slumped reluctantly, "Right..." she muttered.

"Very good." Martha patted her on the head, making the girl wince, "We'll talk more about this later..." Martha continued quietly, hand on her head, "Okay?"

"Yeah..."

Mavis met Johnny's confused eyes again briefly before he was guided out firmly by the shoulder, and grimaced to herself when the doors closed after them. She quickly searched for Uncle Murray, hoping to get him to cover for her. She'd messed up, and felt stupid for letting Johnny distract her, they hadn't had _time _for this stuff, and now her mom was definitely going to be on high alert. _Stupid Mavis,_ she chided herself. _Stupid, stupid._

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Lady Dracula was already dry by the time they made it outside, glancing to her side to regard the scowling young man as they walked.<p>

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Stein?" she asked idly, raising an eyebrow.

"I just don't get what your problem is," Jonathan grumbled, "There wasn't anything wrong with a little rocking out. And I think you were being kind of mean to Mavis."

He flinched back when she was in front of him, somehow casting a shadow over him, eyes narrow, her face disturbingly devoid of expression.

"How I deal with my daughter is my concern, not yours," Dracula told him sternly, "And my 'problem' is that I gave you a specific, supposedly _simple_ chore that you took _completely out of line._" She seemed to tense up the more she talked, eyes sharpening, "This hotel has hosted the Autumn Equinox for nearly a _century_ now, respecting the traditions with dependability and order, every year, near perfectly every time, and then _you_ - _you_ come along and you just...!" She seemed to freeze when she saw how Johnny was almost cowering, and found she was nearly looming over the boy. She subtly backed off a little, brushing her disheveled hair back self-consciously, before exhaling tiredly. Johnny blinked when he realized the lady almost looked hurt, until she quickly put on a smile, fangs glinting, almost cheerfully angry, "But I'll let it go this time. Alright? Alright. We'll try something a little easier this time, second chances, yes? _Everyone_ likes those."

She walked on, leaving Johnny standing stock-still for a moment before he followed, mumbling, "Jeez, somebody's stressed..."

He jumped when she looked at him over her shoulder, "What was that?"

"N-nothing."

They reach a large deck kind of thing in one of the castle's courtyards, multiple gazebos interconnected by boardwalks, lit only by tiki torches, the moon, and the lights from the castle itself. She snaps her fingers, and another, larger cardboard box appears next to Jonathan, startling him. He looks at it, and he looks up at the vampire, confused.

"Electric lights," Dracula explained briskly, "I'd like this area decorated with them, along the railings of the decks and the roofs."

"Um, okay." Johnny looked around, noticing it was just him in this large, open, lonely space, "You mean me?"

"Yes."

She was already leaving him there to go back to the castle.

"Wait, b-by myself?"

"Is that too much trouble?" she asked, blinking at him.

"No, it's just - why?"

She smiled dryly at him, "This _is_ where some of her party is going to take place. It'd be good to know if all the bulbs work when they're set up, I'd just like you to check to see if any are burnt out beforehand when you set them up. I'll send someone to check on you later. Stay out of trouble, now."

Johnny's eyes widened, "J-just checking if the bulbs work? But we could just plug 'em in and—"

Too late, she was a bat flying back towards the castle, and Johnny was alone. He stood there for a moment, suddenly hyper-aware of all the sounds being made in the dark. Sure, he knew this was a hotel for monsters, and passed close enough for one himself, but there's still that niggling little human instinct that dark + alone – backpack = not a good thing. Especially now that he knew there were things out there that could potentially eat him. He'd be better off trying to set up these light things quick. He searched through the tangle of electric light cords until he finally found the thing's plug, and then looked around, holding it up awkwardly from the box, before he realized something.

"Hey, you didn't tell me where the outlet was!"

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>When Martha returned to the dining hall, she looked around but couldn't find her daughter. She quickly found Murray, though, playing for the crowd, trying to recreate Johnny's style of music on his guitar. Martha fluttered over in bat form, landing uneasily on the headstock.<p>

"Will you stop that noise?" she hissed quietly through a rigid smile on her bat face for the crowd, "And where is Mavis?"

Murray shrugged easily, concentrating on the tuning, "Dunno, sorry. I didn't know you wanted me to bat-sit. Could you tweak that knob there just a bit, Mar? Thanks," he strummed experimentally before adding, "She said somethin' about getting more drinks."

"And you believed her?" Dracula asked flatly, making the mummy chuckle.

"Hey, girl, I'm not gonna get in the way of that. Should've seen 'em earlier, they were really hitting it off, y'know?"

She scowled, "Who's hitting what off? I have know idea what you're - ugh. Fine. Just keep everyone here distracted until I get this sorted out."

"Will do, chief, I think I got it now!" Murray agreed happily, before making the guitar blare out a chord that had the vampire give a startled shriek and fly for the hills. Now out of her bat form and in a bad mood, Martha paced her office, rubbing her ringing ears to try and will her headaches away.

"Where is my daughter?" she asked one of the knights tiredly.

"Hang on, we're looking... And... She's currently searching the dungeons, ma'am."

That made Martha smile slightly. _Smart, sweetie, but not quite._ This gave Martha some time to breathe. She took a moment to ponder on her daughter's protective stance of this young man. Was it an act of rebellion, or a form of young adult's curiosity? Or perhaps, heaven forbid, an ill-conceived attraction? And she didn't even know what _his_ objective was in all of this. Whatever it was, she just could not trust the boy. Until she could find out precisely what was going on, Martha wasn't going to let either of those two be alone together, or out of her sight...


	11. Chapter 11

Mavis stomped up the dungeon stairs, a faint expression of fuming, nervous embarrassment on her face, fists clenched at her hips, as her mother calmly followed behind her, seemingly smooth as always. "If you'd needed more cleaning supplies, you _could've_ just sent for one of the staff." Martha observed, casually calling her daughter's bluff. The dungeon areas were home to the hotel's spa facilities, as well as some old cells that acted as extra storage space and a few secluded areas that were reserved as servant living quarters. Mavis still suspected that some parts in the dungeon might've still been kept for their _original_ purpose.

Mavis's head hunkered down around her shoulders, trying to collect herself while stubbornly crossing her arms, "I _was_ also kind of looking for Johnny. Johnny-Stein," she told her mother pointedly as Martha caught up with her to walk beside her, and she glanced up at the taller woman out of the corner of her eye, "Um, where did you put him?"

Martha's smile quirked, "I put him to work, honey bat. You two hung out a little, and now he's helping me, like we agreed, yes? Or at least I _thought_ we had agreed."

Mavis winced at that slight accusing tone. She was probably still ticked about the streamers-water-party thing. "Mom, we were just—"

"Please, Mavis, forget about that for now. I was—"

"We really didn't mean—"

"I _know_, just let me speak, please." Martha cleared her throat. "I...was actually hoping you and I could have some time together to, ah, talk a little about him."

Mavis, feeling frustrated, glanced a little anxiously at the damp stone wall they passed, really hoping that they wouldn't talk. This was getting difficult.

"I...I don't see how I can talk much about him if you won't even let _us_ talk." she grumbled.

"And _that's_ what I wanted to talk to you about, Mavis."

Mavis blinked uneasily at that firm business tone in her mom's voice, a gentle touch on her shoulder bringing Mavis to a reluctant stop on the stairs, where she leaned against the wall and found her red sneakers to be the most interesting things to look at. Mavis seriously dreaded it when Mom got that tone.

"Mavis, look at me, please."

When her daughter's eyes settled firmly on the brooch at her throat, Martha sighed.

"You're not in trouble, dear, I just—"

Mavis rolled her eyes to the ceiling, before freezing when Martha cleared her throat again— *_a-HEM?* _—and quickly brought her eyes back to Mom's brooch.

"I _just_...want to know a little more from you about what's going on. You never told me anything about knowing this boy before now - I certainly don't recall a 'Johnny-Stein' being around the hotel before either. And don't think I haven't noticed how sneaky you've been since he arrived, young lady," Martha pointed out, watching her daughter intently, "So I don't think you can blame me for being..."

"Freaked out?"

Because personally Mavis was honestly feeling a little freaked out, but she wouldn't let it show. It wasn't showing, was it?

"Concerned, I was going to say concerned." Martha's expression was neutral. "If there's something you're not telling me..."

"W-well what do you want me to tell you?" Mavis said exasperatedly, trying to play it off, waving a dismissive hand.

"He's just a _guy,_ Mom, j-just some...random guy I ran into."

"A _guy_ who is suddenly your personal guest," Martha continued, becoming a little irritated herself, slightly dropping the calm façade, crossing her arms too, "A guy who you're suddenly sneaking around in the 'secret' tunnels with," she crooked her fingers in the air in quotation marks, before gesturing to herself, "And you keep trying to shut _me_ out in the meantime. Is it really so bad to you that I want to get to know your friends, Mavis?"

Mavis stammered "Oh, he's not—" she caught herself, that wasn't quite right, "I-I mean he's sort of not - okay, he's a guest, yeah, b-but—"

The girl face-palmed herself as Martha raised an eyebrow.

"Urgh... Can I please start over?"

"Yes. Just tell me how you met him, when you met him, and who he is to you." Martha replied bluntly, folding her hands in front of her, "That is all I want to know."

Mavis's mouth quirked in annoyance, almost rolling her eyes again before she held up her hands at her mother's warning look, "Right, right, sorry, okay. Um..."

Her mind worked furiously in front of her mother's patient stare.

"Uh..."

She was already tangled up as it is, it'd be really bad to try to add any more lies on top of her two biggest ones. One, that she'd snuck out to meet humans, two, that Johnny _was_ a human. If Mom found out, which one of those would get Mavis buried the deepest? No, no, don't think about that. But what can she say to get Mom off her back and Johnny out of here without anybody getting traumatized for life?

Maybe confess a half-lie?

"Okay, I don't..._really_ know him all that well," Mavis confessed, which was true, "I just ran into him today. We just...randomly bumped into each other and it was _really_ surprising," which was _very_ true, "I mean, everybody around here's a lot older than me, heck, everybody's _ancient,"_ Martha chided her for rudeness but let her continue, "Sorry. So I thought it'd be...cool, meeting someone my own age." Which _would_ be cool, except she's almost, what, four, five times this guy's age? Whatever. "I thought I'd catch up with him, talk a little, and yeah, okay, did that," Mavis gave a small, nervous smile, "I'm sorry I was all sneaking around today, I just wanted to talk to him by myself, you know, typical teenager thing, getting all edgy when parents are around? But yeah, that was my bad, I'm sorry, Mom."

Martha considered her for a moment, almost intensely, and then suddenly nodded, "I think I see. It's alright, dear." accepting Mavis's apology with a smile.

Mavis huffed a laugh nervously through her teeth.

"Hah? Really? It's okay?" Martha nodded again. "O-okay. Okay, good, _great_, that settles it then. _I_ got to have my company, and _you_ got to have your helper." Mavis chirped with a false brightness, "That was fun!" before continuing up the stairs, making Martha blink. Mavis clapped her hands together nervously, trying to move quickly, "I'm _totally_ glad we had this conversation, Mom. Now that that's over with, I can just go ahead and go give some 'goodbye's to Johnny-Stein," _as well as quick directions to the nearest airport and away from here,_ "And then he can be on his way and for_ever_ out of your hair. Right."

"Now hold on a moment, Mavis." Martha was suddenly in front of Mavis, standing on the higher step, which practically had her towering over Mavis in the narrow, winding stairway. Mavis started back with a faint squeak. Martha smiled down sweetly at her daughter.

"He doesn't have to leave so soon, now," she reassured Mavis, "It's impolite to turn away your guests so quickly. In fact, I'd like to think that this is a good time for you to learn to take _responsibility_..." A quick, unreadable expression darted over Martha's face with the word, before her warm smile returned. "It really is nice that you've made a friend, I shouldn't be the one to stand in the way of that. In fact," Martha's smile broadened a little more, showing the points of her fangs, "I think I'd like to get to talk with Johnny-Stein, too..."

Mavis's eyes widened, her natural pallor seeming to pale even further.

"You...you _what?_ B-but I thought - that you'd—"

Both vampires suddenly jumped when a high-pitched _buzzing _sound occurred, booming and loud, making them cringe and clap their hands in unision over their ears, hissing through their teeth, teeth bared in monstrous faces twisting like startled cats. From the way up the stairs there could be seen dim flashes of colored light corresponding with the electric buzzing, which at last stopped with a final air-displacing _THUD_ and a violent _BSSSZzzzZZZ**SNAP!**_

. . .

For a few beats there was silence, and then they heard distant laughter, cheers and shrieks._  
><em>

_"WOOO-HOO-HOOO!"_

_"Again! Again! Do it again!"_

_"WHEEEEEE!"_

The Draculas looked at each other in stunned confusion, tentatively lowering their hands.

Then both pairs of eyes narrowed in similar expressions of realization, the younger's panicked, the older's irritated.

_""JOHNNY?!""_

* * *

><p><strong>. . . Earlier . . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Exhausted, Johnny crouched down to put the plug into the outlet, watching the big gazebo-boardwalk thing light up, making him feel a bit better for all that work. Finally. Like, what? An hour to set up all the freaking lights, then another half to find this freaking outlet? Near the ground, behind a bush. Okay maybe it wasn't all <em>that<em> long, but it sure felt like it.

He looked over his work, took in the warm yellow-orange-y glow of the lights, remembering similar sights he'd seen at late night beach parties. Okay, maybe those places didn't have the ancient-as-heck woodwork details and the carnivorous climbing vine thing on the far end, but the images were similar. From what he'd seen so far, the hotel monsters could really work a party, and he looked forward to seeing what was done out here. A monster birthday party, how cool was that?

He absently began humming a rock-and-roll rendition of the 'Happy Birthday' song as he looked over his work when a bulb blew out somewhere towards the other end.

All the way on the other end.

Of course it was.

Jonathan pouted, wondering if he could just let this one go, before remembering the potential wrath of Ms. Dracula, and didn't want to literally risk his neck over something as stupid as a bad bulb. He gave a tired, helpless sigh of self-pity and began rummaging through the box to look for a spare. Maybe Mavis could find him again and they could still hang out, hopefully her mom wasn't giving her a too hard time.

Seriously, what was the Lady Drac's deal?

He finally found another one of the baseball-sized lightbulbs and started carrying it towards the one that was out. He was halfway there before the whole setup suddenly went dark, leaving him frozen in midstep with a faint 'urk' noise as his eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden light change.

Why couldn't he have been given a flashlight? Did monsters not need flashlights or something?

Confused and having lost track of his target bulb, with no other choice he went _back _over to where he'd come from, trying to see if there was a hitch in the wire or whatever, only to find that the thing had somehow gotten unplugged from the socket. Maybe it had just been loose? Laughing nervously over such a dumb problem, he kneeled down again to plug it back in, watching the whole thing light up once more, still with that one burnt out bulb.

Okay, take two.

This time he didn't make it five steps before it went out again.

He whirled around in the dark frustration, "Okay, what's—?"

Then they went on again.

He blinked dazedly, turning around, "Going...?"

He moved hesitantly forward again, and then—

_Off_.

"Oh, what—!" He moved back.

_On_.

"Come on!" Turned around again.

_Off_.

"Ow!" He'd bumped into a railing. "Okay? But this time I'm seriously gonna—"

_On_.

_Off_.

_On_.

_Off_.

_On-off-on-off-on_.

Johnny flailed and spun into awkward poses throughout the impromptu strobe light show, finally diving off the gazebo thing, holding the lightbulb to his chest all football style to attack the errant light plug thing he found lying there. He caught it on the ground, holding it up triumphantly - "HAH!" - and forcefully jammed it back in to turn on the lights for hopefully a final time.

He stared at it, giving it his full, crazed attention, until right in front his eyes the plug _popped_ free from the socket, blinding him with darkness.

Johnny yelped, dropping the lightbulb onto the grass to make a clumsy kung-fu position, looking around wildly. So monster places had haunted electric lights?!

A strange noise suddenly issued from the air, something that Johnny recognized as stifled snickering before someone he couldn't see finally laughed aloud.

"Ah, man, your face is _priceless!_" the Invisible Man chuckled.

"Nrgh?" Johnny grunted uneasily, not relaxing from his 'ready' pose, only loosening up a little when the guy turned the lights back on.

"Okay, okay, yeah, I'll stop now, I had my fun," the dude breathed out in another laugh, putting on his glasses before the lightbulb levitated, meaning he was picking up the lightbulb Johnny had dropped, and began tossing it up and down in the air like a baseball, which looked weird when the guy was invisible. "That was funny, though. Wasn't it funny?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes before he couldn't help a laugh himself, "Yeah, okay, that was pretty good." he admitted, "Er, sorry, what was your name?"

"Pals call me Griffin," the guy told him amiably, before tossing the lightbulb at him, letting Johnny fumble to catch it, "Nice to meet ya, Johnny-Stein."

"You, too." Johnny cleared his throat awkwardly, not sure what to do when Mavis wasn't here. "Uh, not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?"

The glasses paced and the guy seemed to lean against one of the bannisters, "Eh, I saw you and thought to myself 'Hey, there's another poor sap being bossed around by Her _Grouchiness_', and I felt like being nice," Griffin told him, sounding amused but interested, "Plus, I overheard somethin' about that little Equinox party you came up with - cool stuff. Wanted to see the Party Planner in action, y'know?"

Johnny chuckled, a bit self-conscious, twirling the lightbulb in his hands, "Uh, thanks? But yeah, Drac was having me set up these things."

Griffin looked over the light-gazebo, one 'eyebrow' raised, "Ye-ah, I can't say it's too impressive."

At first Jonathan was a bit put off by that, but then turned to look at his work and the warm, steady glow of the lights, and thought it over.

"Huh." Johnny couldn't help but agree, crossing his arms as he regarded it, "Well, _I_ think it's alright, but I get what you're saying."

"I know, right?"

It was cute, yeah, but it was lacking..._something_.

The invisible monster and the disguised human stood side by side for a moment, as thoughts for that _something_ were already rattling through Johnny's brain.

"So, got any ideas?" Griffin asked, the mischievous curiosity obvious in his voice.

"You actually gave me one." Johnny grinned, before gesturing to the plug, and then to the whole thing.

"Is there any way we can reprogram these things? Got any extra stuff we can use? Like more lights, and a sound system?"

"I know _just _the guy you need!" the Invisible Man told him cheerfully, as if he'd been waiting for Johnny to ask.

* * *

><p><strong>. . . A little less earlier . . .<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're going to regret it." Mrs. Stein called out from the lounge chair that her husband had brought out for her, placed at a presumably safe distance.<p>

"We're _not_ gonna regret it." Frank rolled his eyes, used to her nay-saying, shouldering a massive disco ball on his shoulder. Johnny stumbled after him, the young man struggling under an enormous bale of flashy Christmas lights in his lanky arms.

"It's not gonna work." Eunice went on, turning a page of her magazine with a fine, dangerous nail.

Frank grin was wide in anticipation, "It's gonna work _perfect_."

"You're going to hurt yourself."

"Nobody's gonna get hurt."

"And those wigs are stupid." she went on flatly, not looking up from the articles, stylish sunglasses pushed up on her forehead.

"These wigs are _fabulo~ous!"_ Griffin sang out, dancing after Johnny and Frank. He was dressed up in total 80's disco style, complete with, yes, a rainbow-colored afro. He'd even found a matching black one for Frank to wear, though Johnny wasn't wearing one. They'd all already agreed Johnny-Stein's hair was crazy enough as it was. "I think I found these in your closet." the monster added to her smugly, glasses glinting.

The female flesh golem's eyes narrowed as she looked over the invisible man and his tackiness, the wig reminding her of a clown.

"Never seen those things in my _life_." she drawled in warning to the clown who was wearing the wig, ignoring the subtle slight against her hair.

Griffin gestured to the bellbottom pants he wore, "How 'bout these?" he asked teasingly, striking a pose, "You sure you never seen _these_? They're awfully comfy."

"Frank, if he's _seriously_ been in my closet!" Eunice snarled.

"Cool it, Griff," Frankie chided him, placating his wife before smiling down at Johnny, gesturing with the ball on his arm, "So where do you want this, Cuz?"

Johnny struggled to point while keeping a hold on his burden, "Right up over there."

"No problemo."

Johnny then glanced uncertainly at Frank's wife, "Um, if this's alright with you, ma'am?"

She was instantly smiling at him, waving a manicured hand indulgently, "No, no, it's okay, hon, it's looking very nice."

Frank scowled even as he was hoisting the disco ball into place at the 'center stage'.

"Of course it's nice, that's what I've been saying. What, it's alright if _Johnny's_ doing this but not me?" he protested.

Eunice merely smirked at him, before lounging back and turning another page.

Frank only huffed, rolling his eyes again before looking down at his 'cousin', interest returning.

"Hey, Johnny, tell me again about that orchestra thing this's about?"

"Trans-Siberian Orchestra, it rocks." Johnny said simply, grinning, "You'll see what I'm talking about."

Their project was already drawing a small crowd behind the apparent safety line of Mrs. Stein's chair. The guests had already heard of the Party Planner, word having gone around concerning his work with the Equinox gathering, and the monsters were clearly curious to see what he was doing this time.

After explaining it to the big guy again, Frank glanced around before looking to Johnny.

"Say, uh..." the giant golem grinned hopefully, "I know something that Mavis likes that we could add to this. How about it?"

Johnny didn't have to think twice, eyes lighting up. "That'd be awesome! What is it?"

"I'll just need to refit some of these wiring doohickeys to manage a Tesla coil."

"Woooah..." Johnny was impressed. "She likes those?"

"She'll love it." Frank promised cheerfully.

"We can do that?" Jonathan continued to ask, some doubt coming to him as he looked over their display.

Frank visibly puffed up, almost smug, "Kid, you're talking to the guy who rubbed elbows with Nikola Tesla himself, and there was a lot of static shock. He was weird for a human, though, had some kind of thing for pigeons," he muttered for a moment before continuing. "Anyway, we'll just be doing a little test run," he reassured Johnny before adding, "What could happen?"

What did happen just a few more modifications and a sound system later was . . . epic, to say the least. Across the grounds monsters wildly danced and cheered on the grounds and the gazebo boardwalks. The whole, sprawling structure creaked and seemed to bounce with all their dancing. Lights flashed and the disco ball glittered and sound boomed as the light show crazily pulsed in time to a high volume disco version of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 'Revenge of the Sugar Plum Fairy'. Griffin was clearly having a blast.

Even amidst all the chaos Eunice sat back on her chair, with fluffy headphones over her ears to match her sweater. She watched nonchalantly as Frank and Johnny had finally managed to set up the Tesla coil, and she watched, as when the finale of the song neared they reached up to pull the switch on the gigantic thing. At the same time Eunice reached up to put her sunglasses down over her eyes. They threw the switch on the coil for the finale, and the air everywhere went white. That's where everything literally went out with what could be called a _Bang_. A big, overwhelming, colorful, blinding, buzzing, air-frying, lightning-y Bang.

* * *

><p><strong>. . . And now . . .<strong>

* * *

><p>It was just at the aftermath of what would be known as the Big Bang, after the point where it had finally overloaded the breakers, that Martha effortlessly and quickly made her way through the excited crowd, Mavis hurrying in her wake as the settling crush hastily parted for the tense, irate woman, still only slightly hushing, here and there still faintly cheering or laughing or whispering with curiosity. Brief arcs of static still zapped through the air, smelling of heat and burnt fibers.<p>

The lot responsible stood in a row like a prison lineup for the vampires' arrival, singed and frazzled, Johnny standing awkwardly between the looming giant and the invisible space occupied by a floating pair of glasses still bedecked in that disco garb. Frank and Griffin were wearing what looked like clown wigs, looking even more ridiculous from being frizzed out at the ends, like bizarre dandelions on their heads. Johnny was shoved gently to the forefront by Griffin, and Mavis couldn't help it, stifling a disbelieving giggle at the sight of him.

Martha put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, her cape shifting slightly, wordlessly waiting for an explanation.

". . . Frank-man found the Tesla coil thing." Johnny offered sheepishly, his hair faintly smoking before a small flame lit up on one of the ends, causing Frankie to start in horror before instantly bringing his fist down to smash the flame, putting it out and flattening his 'cousin' into the ground.

Now an unwilling burst of laughter escaped Mavis, and she quickly clapped her hand over her own mouth, still struggling not to grin when her mother gave a warning look, the teenager's thin shoulders shaking. She couldn't help it. This just looked so _ridiculous_...

"You guys really missed a party." Frank told them, apologetically picking up Johnny and 'gently' brushing him off, setting him back down on wobbly legs.

"This was not supposed to _be_ a party," Martha stated quietly, eerily calm, "The party is not due for a couple more days. _This_, this is just...!"

"Oh, come off it, Mar, the boys were just having a little fun." Eunice called from her chair.

Now the vampire turned to look at her, dark eyes wide and incredulous. "You _encouraged_ this?"

"Heck, no," Eunice scoffed, pushing up her sunglasses, still smirking, "I just thought it was cute."

"Yeah, c'mon, Vampira, we did the lights and had fun, too." the Invisible Man announced, crossing his arms under some ridiculous eyesore of a lime green jacket.

Was Martha being ganged up on? She felt like she was being ganged up on.

"And _how_ are the lights?" she decided to ask wearily.

They all looked.

Every bulb is burnt out or flickering weakly, and as they watched one gave out with a _pop! _of glass and sparks. Shattered bits of glass littered the boards.

Martha looked back to glare at the Invisible Man, only to see his clothes finish dropping into a pile on the ground with the wig to top it like an electrified rainbow cherry, the man now literally nowhere to be seen. Silly coward. She'd find him later.

She turned again to the remaining responsible, feeling more than a little frustrated.

"I give you one _simple_ thing to do..." she said, watching Frankenstein shuffle in faint guilt, and Johnny-stein looked ready to flee. Or cower. Whichever.

She wordlessly hushed Mavis before she could interfere, seeing the subtle worry on her daughter's face, giving the girl a look as if to say 'later'.

Now was not the time, not when they had a crowd watching, and Martha had some 'damage control' to do.

With an abrupt turnabout, she faced the crowd of guests, giving a bright, beautiful, apparently genuine smile that was startling to the ones who knew better. "Well how about that, everyone? What an ending! Wasn't that _fun?" _Martha laughed, gesturing back to Johnny, taking a friendly grip to his shoulder, "Let's have a proper round of applause for our _ambitious_ Party Planner!"

There was a polite and enthusiastic bout of clapping from the guests as Martha still held a hand on Johnny's shoulder, "And, of course, for his _helpers_." she added, glancing over her shoulder at Frank, who stiffened and then tried to 'act casual' as he walked away from the scene. Martha turned back to the crowd, she was still smiling even as Johnny nervously felt the strength of her hand, a desperate smile on his own face barely hiding a grimace of his terror.

"Okay, everyone, thank you, thank you, yes, it was very nice. Now, if you'll please expect to return to your _scheduled_ activities and begin going to your rooms," the undead hostess told them. She began 'escorting' Johnny through the crowd in a determined enough way that her daughter couldn't follow. "It's growing light out," Her fingers clenched lightly into his shoulder, felt even through the thick jacket he wore, making him give out a fearful whimper that only Martha heard. "And we have many more things planned for tomorrow." she added quietly.

"W-wait!" they hear.

Mavis does manage to catch up with them, and even get in front of them, cutting off her mother and making them stop.

The crowd was already breaking up and dissipating.

"Yes?" Martha asks her, ready to move around her daughter if need be.

Mavis opens her mouth as if to say something, but freezes, unsure what to say. "Um..."

Johnny looks at her and seems to forget Martha's hand on his shoulder, smiling brightly at the girl. "Hey! Did you like it?" he asked hopefully.

Both Martha and Mavis look at him, confused expressions matching on their faces. Martha glances to Mavis curiously, seeing the girl blink, mouth opening and closing uncertainly, before to the mother's surprise, and possibly Mavis's, she said, "Yeah. Um, I only caught the last part, but...yeah."

A reluctant smile quirked shyly on the young girl's face.

"I kinda did like it." she admitted.

Martha frowned, looking between the two quickly, seeing them stare at each other and the boy is wearing an incredibly goofy, stupid _grin_.

The woman scoffed, _"Aïe_, alright, alright, enough."

Her hand moved from his shoulder to the scruff his jacket, picking him up and breaking up whatever _this _nonsense was, making the two youngsters blink.

"Okay, sweetie," she placated her daughter, smiling brightly as she carried the boy around her and away, "Good for you two, but I think that's enough for today."

"B-but - wait, where are you taking him?" Mavis panicked a little, following her mom hastily.

"To his room of course," Martha replied briskly, holding Johnny-Stein up and a little away from Mavis's reach.

"I have a room?" Johnny wondered worriedly.

The women ignored him.

"You should go to your room, too." Martha added to her, "It's time for bed."

Mavis was shocked at that, almost stopped.

"It's - what?!"

Martha was firm, "Bedtime, Mavis."

"But it's only like 6 am!" she protested, "I can stay up for at _least_ another―"

"Please don't argue with me about this, sweetheart," Martha told her, giving a warning glance to the girl.

Mavis wasn't sure what to say, staring incredulously, and her mother nodded, smiling. "Don't forget to brush your fangs."

Johnny managed to turn in Martha's grip to wave at her, "G'night, Mavis!" he called quickly. "Or-or good day, or―"

Martha moved on more determined, turning him around again, "Bed!" she snapped. "Yes, ma'am..." he mumbled.

"But you can't—!" Mavis watched them go, confusion and embarassment leaving her stunned before she began abruptly strangling the air, "It's _not_ - _my_ - UUUUGH!"

Her _own_ mother - her own _mother_ just told her to go to bed in front of guy! You don't _do_ that!

She was turning 118 for crying out loud, it's not like she was 83 anymore!

She dragged her hands over her face, breathing into them.

. . .

Okay. Okay, okay, breathe Mavis. One more day, last just one more day and tomorrow you can get him out of here.

Yeah...

. . .

She thought with some slight regret, that the light show thing had actually been pretty cool, though. She wished she'd seen more of it.

And some bit inside her was uncomfortably flattered. He'd wanted her to like it. What, had he tried making it for her?

That was pretty cool. And...sweet.

But no, focus Mavis, tomorrow, definitely tomorrow.

She sighed, dragging her feet a little on her way to her room, taking a shortcut up the wall.

No doubt Mom would be posting more guards around the halls while he was here.

Yeah, tomorrow.

Everything was going to be okay.

Assuming they both actually survive her mom. Seriously.

* * *

><p><strong>. . .<strong>

* * *

><p>Johnny had carefully kept quiet, but blinked in surprise when Martha showed him the room, dropping him gently just inside the door.<p>

"Um, this is," he took it in, seeing an average, normal hotel room. Or at least as normal a one as you can find in a monster hotel. "This is actually kinda nice."

"Of course it is," she agreed, sounding slightly miffed, "You _are_ a guest, Mr. Stein. Where did you think I was going to put you? The dungeons?"

He gave an uncomfortable shrug, it made her smirk a little.

Dungeons were too obvious, anyway, and she did have her hotel's reputation to uphold, concerning visitors' comfort. She'd just made sure to put him in a room that was far enough away from her daughter's room and most other guests, and had taken enough efforts to ensure that those two wouldn't 'accidentally' run into each other should the idea of sneaking around come to either of their minds.

Then the smile on her face fell away.

"You _really_ disappointed me today, Johnny-Stein," she told him bluntly, watching his faint cringe. "But I am known for my generosity, so I'll be patient - _again_," she continued, smiling once more, a brittle upturn to the corners of her mouth, "So tomorrow we'll try _again_, and see if you can actually―"

"Mavis liked it."

Her fake smile and expression were frozen for a moment, before she stared, still smiling, but her eyes were sharp.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked politely, as if she hadn't heard.

Jonathan looked ready to run, but he crossed his arms sullenly.

"I mean, people liked it," he went on bravely, "And it was just some fun, I don't see why―"

"Don't."

He shut up when she raised a silencing finger, pursing her lips as she considered the young man. To Johnny's confusion she reached her hand out beyond the door behind her, and brought it back holding Johnny's backpack. The young man's eyes widened in delight before the irises shrank in unease.

"Um, that's, uh, that's mine..." he mumbled, inching forward hesitantly.

"Ah, so I have your attention now?" She smirked. "I assumed it would be," she continued to agree, the taller woman holding it away just enough that he would have to purposefully take it from her to get it, and he clearly wasn't brave enough to try that. "Some of the staff discovered it in one of the cleaning closets of all places." she explained. "I really have to press on my bellhops the difference between baggage and trash bags. Though I will admit," she sniffed the air near the backpack and her nose wrinkled, "With the, ah, odor to this thing, their confusion is understandable."

Johnny pouted at that, "Hey, that's not - _oof!"_ he stumbled back when she suddenly tossed it at him, gripping it to his chest.

"You don't make me the enemy here, Jonathan," she continued in a conversational tone when he regained his footing. Quiet and calm, she folded her hands in front of her. "I do not mind someone having fun. I encourage it even." Her eyes narrowed, cold and bright. "What I _do_ happen to mind is when someone starts having 'fun' behind my back and _at my expense_..."

"Oh... U-um, I-I didn't mean..."

Johnny looked even more ready to run now, except that Dracula was standing in the way of the only escape.

"I know perfectly what you meant." she agreed calmly, "And if you're not more _careful_, feelings could get hurt..."

She huffed, breaking from the intimidation to mutter, hands clenching, "Not to mention the _grandiose_ electricity bill I'll probably have to contend with, thanks to your little _stunt_, and the _wiring,_ the _pacing_, and all of the little _questions_ and _comments_ people will start making about you and...!" She noticed her rising tension and quickly relaxed. "But...don't worry," she offered a small, sparkly laugh, showing her fangs, "I'll be sure to talk with your _cousin_ about that."

Johnny had been holding still for fear of his life, clutching at his backpack, keeping it between her and him, and just now remembered to think.

She'd said something specific. Cousin? Oh. Right. Stein. Cousin.

Johnny's mouth moved nervously, somewhere between a fearful grin and the good ol' grimace of terror, "O-okay, Ms. Dracula ma'am."

"Hmm..."

She looked him over, and didn't seem impressed.

"Well, you understand what I'm asking of you, then?" she asked.

He nodded quickly.

"Good. We'll try again tomorrow. Hopefully you won't disappoint, or, well," she gently laughed again, backing out of the doorway.

"We'll just see if I'd be feeling so generous next time. Sleep well, Jonathan."

The door shut, leaving Johnny alone in the room to stare at the old wood. He stood there for a moment. This room was nice, but it was very dark and very quiet now.

The door suddenly creaked open again, making him jump with a yelp.

Dracula poked her head in one more time, smiling apologetically, "Oh, and Jonathan? While _Mavis_ may have liked it, that does not excuse or justify your actions. Kind of makes me like it even less, really. So one more bit of advice for you, and I say this with the greatest respect," Her silver eyes gleamed an angry, venomous orange, teeth flashing like needles in her mouth as she warned him, _"Stay away from my daughter." _

She resumed to smile normally, showing gleaming fangs.

"That's all I wanted you to know. Good morning now, Johnny-Stein. Oh, and really, _do_ try to sleep well." She added, "You'll need it tomorrow."

The door closed behind her once more.

Jonathan stared for a few, palpitating heartbeats more before the survival instints kicked in.

He dropped his backpack and frantically checked the window first, but nope, no way, José. The room's too high up to try jumping, and there was no rappelling from the window even if he did tie some sheets together. Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Maybe Mavis could save him? He could go find Mavis, yeah!

He tried the door, and opened it only to see one of those knight dudes posted right across the hall. Johnny froze.

The knight saluted with a _clank_, holding a very awesome and pointy-looking spear thing.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" it asked politely.

"Um." Johnny blinked, "Actually, uh..."

"Should I fetch the Lady Dracula?" was its offer. "She specifically asked us to ensure you were to see her should you need anything."

Johnny laughed nervously, "Aw, no, man, thanks, but it's cool, it's all cool, I'm cool, heck, I'm _so_ cool!"

He closed the door behind him quickly, keeping his back to it, before sitting against it and hugging his backpack to him.

"I'm. _So._ Dead." he mumbled to the empty monster hotel room.


End file.
